NZ Justice Minister Kiri Allan resigns after arrest, charges

Kiri Allan was charged with reckless driving and resisting arrest, and was over the legal drink driving limit after a car accident on Sunday night.

Kiri Allan has stepped down as Justice Minister. Picture: AFP.

New Zealand Justice Minister Kiri Allan has resigned as a cabinet minister after being charged with careless driving and refusing to accompany a police officer, in a new blow for the Prime Minister just seven weeks from a federal election.

Ms Allan, who has struggled with mental health issues, was also found to be over the legal drink driving limit, after two cars were involved in an accident in Wellington late on Sunday night.

As well as quitting as Justice Minister, she has resigned her portfolios in finance and transport.

Prime Minister Chris Hipkins told reporters he was “gutted” for Ms Allan, who was in a “very distressed state” when he spoke to her on Monday morning.

“Everyone is still processing this, including me,” Mr Hipkins said.“I’m gutted for Kiri … my focus has been on supporting her.”

In a statement earlier today, Mr Hipkins said Ms Allan was not fit to be a minister.

“While her alleged actions are inexcusable, I’ve been advised she was experiencing extreme emotional distress at the time of the incident,” Mr Hipkins said.

“Her recent personal struggles with mental health have been well documented and it appears some of those issues came to a head yesterday.

“I have spoken with her first thing this morning and advised her I do not believe she’s in a fit state to hold a Ministerial warrant.

“I believe it’s also untenable for a Justice Minister to be charged with criminal offending.”

Ms Allan entered parliament in 2017 and rose to prominence under former prime minister Jacinda Ardern, who described her as “remarkable.”

However she has faced a number of hurdles this year, including allegations of bullying a staffer and revelations Meng Foon, the then race relations commissioner, donated thousands of dollars to her campaign in the run up to the 2020 General Election. Ms Allan said there was no conflict of interest over the donation, and the Cabinet office had advised her she hadn’t broken any rules.

Ms Allan is the fifth minister to resign this year after Stuart Nash, the long serving Labour cabinet minister and senior MP departed parliament over serial infringements of Cabinet disclosure rules and intrusions into active immigration and police cases.

Her resignation comes as Labour position in the polls continues to fall; in the most recent polls the governing party tumbled five points to 31 per cent, its lowest rating in five years. National, in the meantime, rose one point to 36 per cent.

Ms Allan, who recently broke up with her partner, had only recently returned to work after a mental health break.

She said she was going home to Gisborne to consider her political future.

“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 in a statement.

“My actions yesterday show I wasn’t okay, and I’ve let myself and my colleagues down.

“I accept that my position as a Minister is untenable.

“I’m very sorry for my actions, the harm they could have caused and the embarrassment it has placed on the Government and my colleagues.”