While the shock revelations of Sam Uffindell's high school bullying have prompted calls for his resignation from some, his constituents in Tauranga appear to be - for the most part - ready to forgive and forget.
A Change.org petition demanding Uffindell's resignation has quickly amassed hundreds of signatures, yet people on the streets of his electorate told RNZ "he shouldn't be punished twice".
"From what I can see it was dealt with at the time, in him being [asked to leave] from the school. There's a lot of people out there that wouldn't want to be held to account of how they were when they were 16," John Delaney said.
"You should be allowed to make mistakes, have those dealt with and not come back to haunt us.
"He looks like a nice guy and everything. And who am I to judge. I mean, 20 years ago - I can't remember 20 years ago, how I was," one resident said, who asked not to be identified.
"Haven't we all done s*** that we're not proud of when we're 16," another said.
Uffindell has only been in the job for 52 days.
At his electorate office - the building formerly occupied by Simon Bridges - his name is yet to be added to the signs.
RNZ was unable to find anyone affiliated with the National Party on multiple visits there today - or anyone linked to the panel that selected Uffindell as an MP.
It is still unclear exactly how many people were privy to the fact Uffindell was kicked out of Kings College, following the revelation that party leader Christopher Luxon and deputy leader Nicola Willis did not know until yesterday.
Uffindell has publicly declared little tolerance for crime and violence and RNZ asked those on the streets of Tauranga if they would have liked to know about his past, before he became an MP.
Sam Uffindell has admitted he assaulted a younger student while at Kings College boarding school in Auckland. Photo: RNZ / Samuel Rillstone
Michelle Kelly said "possibly" Uffindell could have been a bit more upfront.
"Then people could have made that choice," she said.
However David Oakley imagined it would be pretty "difficult" to actually make that kind of admission.
"No, I don't think so. If I was standing for Parliament and I was telling people what I'd done I would be absolutely upset. As you go through life we all make mistakes. Why should I reveal everything? I'm a better man than I was. He's a better man than he was."
Janet Williams agreed it would be difficult to front up prior to the campaign.
"It would be counterproductive for his campaign. It's hard to say, really... I think he should be judged on what he does for the electorate, as an MP," she said.
As the fallout from Uffindell's past continues, people in Tauranga said they had sympathy for the man at the centre of the attention.
"He should have not done what he did years ago but at the end of the day... he was only a learner. He's grown up, now," another Tauranga resident said.
Tauranga MP Sam Uffindell has only been in the job for 52 days and his name is yet to be added to signs at the electorate office. Photo: RNZ / Marika Khabazi
