24-7-2023 (WELLINGTON) New Zealand’s Justice Minister, Kiri Allan, has resigned from all her portfolios following her arrest in relation to a car crash on Sunday. This is the fourth resignation from the cabinet in as many months in an election year.
Allan was taken into police custody in the national capital of Wellington on Sunday and charged with careless use of a motor vehicle and refusing to accompany a police officer. She was also issued with an infringement notice for returning an excess breath alcohol reading. Prime Minister Chris Hipkins announced her resignation from all her portfolios with immediate effect at a press conference.
Hipkins said that Allan’s recent personal struggles with mental health have been well documented and that some of those issues came to a head yesterday. He added that while her actions were inexcusable, she was experiencing extreme emotional distress at the time of the incident.
Allan was also the minister for regional development, minister of conservation, and minister for emergency management. She returned to parliamentary duties last Monday after taking some days off due to mental health issues.
Hipkins said that Allan’s resignation was untenable, especially for a justice minister to be charged with criminal offending. Opinion polls suggest a close contest with the main opposition National Party ahead of the election in October.
Allan, who was once touted as a potential successor to previous prime minister Jacinda Ardern, said she will take time to consider her future in politics. In a statement, she admitted that she faced personal difficulties in recent weeks and believed she was okay to juggle those challenges with the pressure of being a minister. However, her actions on Sunday showed that she was not okay.
