Acting Prime Minister Grant Robertson says Labour MP Anna Lorck's management style may come across "poorly" and "isn't always appreciated".
The Tukituki MP has faced allegations in recent weeks of being a bully, with Stuff reporting two former staffers as taking issue with Lorck's behaviour towards them. One complained about the first-term MP allegedly getting them to sober drive her home after hours, while the second said Lorck publicly scolded her.
Lorck last week released a statement saying she was working on being a "better manager of staff".
Asked on Tuesday at Parliament if she was a bully, Lorck replied: "I'm working hard to be the best MP I can possibly be".
"I have a professional leadership coach and together we're working on how I can work to be a better MP," she said.
Lorck said one of her "strengths" is being a "hard worker". She continues to have a "great team" of staff, the MP said.
"I'm making sure that I do the work that's needed on me to be the best MP I can possibly be. For me, that also means working incredibly hard in my electorate, the place that I am very passionate about. I care for that community and I care for the people of Hastings and for Hawke's Bay."
Robertson told media Lorck has "recognised she needs to do better there". He said specific complaints would be dealt with through the Parliamentary Service process.
"This is a high-pressure work environment, but that never excuses poor behaviour," he said. "In the case of Anna Lorck, what she's recognised is she's got a particular management style that she knows she needs to work on"
Robertson said Lorck is someone "who's very energetic, very enthusiastic, and perhaps sometimes that comes across poorly [and] isn't always appreciated".
"She's working on that and in any work environment, we all strive to be better and when there's an opportunity to undertake training and courses, then we should do that."
In a statement to Stuff last week, Lorck said she was "devastated" to hear about one of the former staffers' concerns. She said she takes her obligation to staff "very seriously".
The initial allegation against Lorck came as Labour was dealing with the Gaurav Sharma saga. Sharma rebelled against his party, claiming there was widespread bullying, and that senior party figures were facilitating it. Prime Minister and Labour leader Jacinda Ardern rejected his allegations and denied there was a culture of bullying within her party. Sharma was later expelled from the Labour caucus.
The Debbie Francis report into bullying within the parliamentary complex in 2019 found staff were often treated like servants by MPs. There were more than 80 recommendations to improve culture, many of which Parliament has taken up.
