Kiri Allan, the New Zealand Justice Minister, announced her resignation on Monday following her involvement in a car crash in Wellington on Sunday evening. Reports indicate that she was charged for exceeding the legal alcohol limit at the time of the collision with a parked car. After the incident, Allan was detained for several hours.
In addition to the alcohol-related charge, the police have also accused her of careless driving and refusing to comply with a police officer, although they did not charge her with driving under the influence despite her being over the legal alcohol limit.
If proven guilty, Allan may face fines and a potential suspension of her driver’s license. However, no specific court date has been scheduled yet.
Kiri Allan was previously seen as a rising star within the Labour party of New Zealand. However, she took a break from her responsibilities following a public breakup with her partner, Mani Dunlop, in June. Upon her return from leave, she was confronted with new allegations of mistreatment towards staff, with one staffer claiming she had been subjected to aggressive behavior during a phone call.
At the time, Hipkins said he still had confidence in Allan despite the allegations, saying, “Kiri is an incredibly competent and talented person who’s clearly had a bit of a rough run lately.”
Nevertheless, during the early hours of Monday, Hipkins conveyed his conversation with Allan, expressing his belief that she was not in a suitable condition to continue as a minister. He pointed out the untenable nature of a justice minister facing a criminal charge. Allan apparently concurred with his assessment, leading her to step down from her ministerial positions.
“Kiri is an incredibly talented person who clearly has been battling some demons, and has not won that battle,” Hipkins said. “While her alleged actions are inexcusable, I’ve been advised she was experiencing extreme emotional distress at the time of the incident. Her recent personal struggles with mental health have been well documented and it appears some of those issues came to a head yesterday.”
Currently, Allan retains her position as a member of Parliament.
Following the incident, Allan issued a statement the next morning, expressing remorse for her actions and indicating that she would be going home to contemplate her future in politics.
“Over recent weeks I’ve faced a number of personal difficulties. I took time off to address those, and believed I was okay to juggle those challenges with the pressure of being a minister,” she said. “My actions yesterday show I wasn’t okay, and I’ve let myself and my colleagues down.”
Christopher Luxon, the leader of the opposition, expressed concerns about Hipkins’ judgment of character in light of the situation. Luxon also stated that he hoped Allan was receiving the necessary support during this time.
Following Jacinda Ardern’s departure in January due to burnout, Hipkins assumed the role of Prime Minister. Ardern, a social democrat and progressive, cited a lack of energy to continue her responsibilities as the reason for stepping down.
This incident adds to a series of scandals involving government ministers. In March, Police Minister Stuart Nash was dismissed for disclosing confidential information to donors. In May, Customs Minister Meka Whaitiri was fired after switching allegiance to another political party. Just last month, Transport and Immigration Minister Michael Wood resigned for not disclosing a potential conflict of interest concerning his owned stocks.
These and other scandals occur just months before the country’s national elections scheduled for October. Recent polls indicate that the conservative opposition is gaining ground and, in some surveys, even surpassing the incumbent liberal leadership. The upcoming election is expected to be a closely contested race.
