Footage has emerged of the grungy Dunedin flat Sam Uffindell lived in at university, which includes an image of women's underwear prominently displayed, leaving National's leadership unimpressed.
Uffindell's flat was a finalist for Dunedin's filthiest flat in 2004.
"We started smelling quite a bad pong, and realised what we'd been flushing away had been coming out that drain pipe," said one flatmate at the time.
A young Uffindell and his flatmates got a telling-off from a health inspector.
"The smell's getting worse."
It was part of a TV story about their squalid living conditions, earning them a shot at winning two kegs of beer.
"We don't have ants or rats or anything, it's just way too cold," said Uffindell's flatmate.
It's another example of the student lifestyle Uffindell admits he enjoyed at Otago.
That student behaviour is under scrutiny after Uffindell was stood down by the National Party, pending an investigation into a complaint about intimidation and bullying made by a former flatmate.
It followed a revelation he was asked to leave Auckland's King's College after an attack on a younger student
"I was a bully at school and I'm not proud of that at all," Uffindell said on Monday.
A few years later, Uffindell went on to Otago University. If a little on the extreme end, it was a classic scarfie scene, but there was one feature of the filthy flat that caught people's eye.
Women's bras and underwear were in prominent display, hanging from hooks in their student flat. This didn't impress National's leadership.
"I'm sure I'm not alone that when I looked at the picture of women's underwear I felt pretty yuck," said deputy leader Nicola Willis.
"Yeah not great. And I would just say to you again, as a Dad with a daughter at university, not great is all I can say," leader Christopher Luxon said.
Newshub visited the Dundas Street flat on Thursday and found it to be in better shape.
"This is probably the bathroom that was leaking out of. As you can see, it's not horrible," a current resident said.
The current residents hadn't followed the Uffindell saga.
"I had no idea who he was," one said.
"Hearing about that's pretty out there," said another.
But chuffed to see their flat in the news.
"Pretty cool to see how far it's come. Like, it's a lot nicer than it was. There's a few holes but those are getting repaired."
They told Newshub the culture has come a long way too.
"Oh hearing what he was up to, definitely. It's still the whole Dunedin culture but it's manageable. It's not that hectic, I guess."
An investigation that's now underway will determine whether Uffindell's behaviour back then will dash his political future.