National leader Christopher Luxon says one of his MPs’ online comments regarding a former Today FM staffer were “insensitive and inappropriate”.

It comes after former Today FM host Tova O’Brien tweeted a column she wrote for Stuff, writing “Why National is distancing the party from Christopher Luxon’s trust deficient personal brand”.

In reply, National MP Chris Penk wrote: “Sorry but your poor ratings crashed an entire radio station”.

Former Today FM radio boss Dallas Gurney posted on social media that Penk’s comment was “spiteful” and said it “verges on bullying”.

“This is not good enough for an MP,” Gurney wrote. “50 people lost their jobs, you idiot. Disgraceful.”

At a media standup today, Luxon said Penk’s comments were “insensitive and inappropriate”.

“The comments were insensitive because people did lose their jobs and Chris [Penk] has apologised for those remarks this morning and I really commend him for doing so,” Luxon said.

This morning, Penk went back to Twitter to apologise for his earlier remarks, saying “Looks like I’ve caused offence to some with this reference to TodayFM’s fate and the jobs that went with it. While I didn’t intend any upset by using that hyperbole, I apologise in any case”.

Today FM staff including Tova O'Brien leave MediaWorks building after the station was taken off-air. Photo / Sylvie Whinray

Today FM abruptly went off air on March 30, with senior hosts such as Tova O’Brien and Duncan Garner losing their jobs virtually immediately.

In an extraordinary few minutes of radio, Garner was joined on air by fellow host Tova O’Brien, who said the company had “f***ed us”: “We are all going to lose our jobs,” she said.

“We’ve been on-air for just a year, we were told we had the support of everyone from chief executive to the board to the executive.”

Garner said: “This is betrayal.”

Chris Penk. Photo / Mark Mitchell

Saturday, August 12 marks the official pre-election advertising period, nine weeks before the election. Luxon was seen today putting up the first of his campaign boards in his Botany electorate.

From today, signs up to three square metres in size can be publicly displayed, regardless of local rules. Bigger signs may also be allowed depending on the location and council.

Also in his media stand-up today, Luxon addressed reports that the Oamaru Hospital will be closing its Emergency Department (ED) on both Saturday and Sunday nights this weekend from 5pm to 8am. This is due to ongoing Doctor shortages nationwide.

National leader, Christopher Luxon with the help of his dad Graham Luxon puts up the first campaign boards at Botany. Photo / Dean Purcell

“It’s a huge concern and what we have seen across this country is that every health metric has gone backwards and a big part of that is we don’t have the workforce to create doctors and nurses in regional hospitals in particular,” he said.

The ED will remain open during the day between 8am and 5pm over the weekend.

“Anyone in need of emergency care during Saturday or Sunday night should call the on-call GP in the first instance, or if it is really serious, then an ambulance should be called,” said the Waitaki District Council.