This is as bad for Sam Uffindell and it is bad for National. 

Sam Uffindell has admitted today that he was a bully at school and this was not an isolated incident. It was the worst of its kind he says but there are others who might also reveal publicly that he assaulted them. 

Of course he shouldn’t’ be punished as a 38 year old for what he did as a 16 year old.  16 year olds make bad decisions.  That’s why they mostly don’t’ go through the adult court system.  It’s why we don’t’ let them vote.  It’s why we don’t’ let them buy alcohol.

But Sam is being punished because of the party he belongs to. 

Which brings me to national. This is bad for national because for the second week in a row we’re not talking about all of Labour’s stuff ups which affect kiwis’ lives.  We are talking about National’s stuff ups.

And this is National Party’s stuff up because they should not have selected Sam Uffindell at this point in time.

They know they have a PR problem for recently selecting badly behaved young men: Andrew Falloon who sent a ‘sext’ to a young woman, Jake Bezzant who allegedly impersonated his ex and sent explicit images of her to other men, Todd Barclay who was accused of recording the conversations of a staffer without her knowledge.

Selecting these people consistently tells voters National doesn’t think that behaviour is that bad; that National is a party of Tory toffs who have a ‘born to rule’ mentality and think bullying more vulnerable people is ok. 

 I’m not saying that is the attitude.  I’m saying that’s the impression some voters get.  And National has just reinforced that by once again selection a young man who they knew had been a bully and deciding they could live with it. 

Now as I say I don’t’ think Sam should be punished for what he did in 5^th form, but Sam isn’t being punished for that.  Sam is being punished for his party’s selection history.

And unless National wants future MPs to also go through this level of media scrutiny, they are going to have to raise the bar on what they tolerate in candidates’ personal histories.