Willem Westra van Holthe speaks about marriage breakdown amid Facbook storm

DEPUTY Chief Minister Willem Westra van Holthe has spoken out about his marriage breakdown, saying he was “shattered” his personal life has been broadcast all over Facebook

Deputy Chief Minister Willem Westra van Holthe talks about the break down of his marriage, near death experience and his trips to Vietnam.

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DEPUTY Chief Minister Willem Westra van Holthe has spoken out about his marriage breakdown, saying he was “shattered” his personal life has been broadcast all over Facebook.

The local Member for Katherine sat down with the NT News to “clear the air” on rumour and innuendo that had been circulating as a result of his estranged wife, Jennie Westra van Holthe, making public Facebook posts on the issue.

“Feeling absolutely gutted. Willem Westra van Holthe is with his new girlfriend on the Gold Coast. Flying back to Darwin…together tomorrow. Flew her in from Vietnam last Saturday. Marriage over!” she wrote on Tuesday.

Mrs Westra van Holthe followed it with a post the next day stating: “Well the bastard has landed with his tramp (name redacted) now I suppose she will shack up with him at our apartment. You have no shame Willem Westra van Holthe.”

Mr Westra van Holthe confirmed to the NT News he had started a new relationship before his marriage of 27 years had officially ended and accepted it was the “wrong thing to do”. “I have commenced another personal relationship, it’s something I guess happens a lot in Australia and it’s really a personal matter,” he said.

“It’s just a crying shame really that this whole thing has been made so public. I’m terribly disappointed my wife has used Facebook to broadcast this to all and sundry but at the end of the day it is what it is and it’s a personal matter and something I don’t think should be talked about in the realm of politics.” The former police officer also broke down in tears as he spoke publicly for the first time about his battle with cancer last year, which he says made him take stock of his life.

Mr Westra van Holthe said he met his new partner on a trade mission to Vietnam but wanted to dispel any innuendo that taxpayers’ money had been misused in the process.

“Absolutely in no way was taxpayer money used to commence or carry on any personal relationships at all,” he said.

“The trips that I’ve done have been justified and justifiable in every way shape and form. I do a lot of travelling because it’s absolutely necessary to build or build on our relationships with our Asian trading partners.”

Mr Westra van Holthe said his “close brush with death” was the beginning of the end of his relationship. “I’ve been married to Jennie for 27 years, for the most part we’ve had a very good marriage,” he said.

“Last year was a particularly difficult year for me. Last year I was diagnosed with kidney cancer.”

A tumour the size of a cricket ball was found on the Minister’s right kidney and within a week he was operated on to have it removed. Unfortunately the surgeon unknowingly nicked an artery that left the father of two slowly bleeding to death.

He was rushed back for surgery the next morning and narrowly escaped death.

“I guess in some ways that was a bit of a turning point for me ... I started reassessing my life and what was important to me and my happiness was one of the things that really sort of jumped out at me, that life is too short,” he said.

“Starting another relationship in a marriage is the wrong thing to do and I accept that but I can offer no explanation other than to say my life changed … in a substantial way – I’ve fallen out of love with my wife and wanted to move on.”

With his personal life in tatters, the Deputy Chief Minister says he is concerned about the effects the revelations could have on his political career.

“Anything can harm a local member’s chance of re-election and I certainly hope that people who take the time to read (this) story get to learn a little bit more about what has actually happened and will understand that my personal life and professional life are separate,” he said.

“I’ll continue to do what I’ve been doing … and that is a darn fine job as the minister responsible for a lot of work in Asia but also a good local member.”

After leading a failed leadership coup in February, Mr Westra van Holthe still enjoys Chief Minister Adam Giles’ support and says he will not resign over the marriage scandal.

“I have spoken to the Chief Minister and a number of my colleagues and the Chief Minister’s words were (yesterday) that he’s 100 per cent behind me … along with other parliamentary colleagues that I have spoken to,” he said.

“I’ve got some good support people that understand I’m going through a very difficult time. I just want to move on with my life as best I can get my personal life back in order and continue to do the work that I do as a local member for Katherine and as a minister