SINGAPORE: In a recent development, New Zealand’s Justice Minister Kiri Allan has tendered her immediate resignation following an alcohol breath test failure subsequent to a car crash.
The incident led to her being charged with careless driving and resisting arrest. This marks the departure of the fourth minister from Prime Minister Chris Hipkins’ cabinet since March, ahead of the upcoming elections scheduled for October, as reported by BBC.
The car crash occurred in the capital city of Wellington on Sunday night; fortunately, there were no reported casualties. However, Kiri Allan was taken into custody and spent four hours at a police station before being released. She is expected to appear in a court on a later date to address the charges.
In response to the situation, Prime Minister Hipkins cited that Ms Allan had been experiencing “extreme emotional distress.” Despite her resignation as Justice Minister, she will continue to serve as a member of parliament, at least for the time being.
“She understood that retaining her ministerial warrant was untenable, especially for a justice minister to be charged with criminal offending,” said the prime minister in a press conference.
Former Minister for Regional Development, Conservation, and Emergency Management, Allan, who had been on a break citing ‘personal difficulties,’ resumed her duties just last Monday. Confirming her separation from her partner last month and confronted with allegations of strained working relations with her staff, Allan stated that she had returned to parliament, believing she could effectively balance her personal challenges with her professional responsibilities.
“My actions yesterday show I wasn’t okay,” she said, adding that she will consider her future in politics.
Allan, formerly regarded as the epitome of the Labour Party’s favour, had been touted as a potential successor to the esteemed former prime minister, Jacinda Arden, who relinquished her position earlier this year prior to Hipkins assuming office.
However, Allan’s resignation marks the most recent development in what Hipkins candidly acknowledged as a tumultuous period within his own party.
In a series of political upheavals, both the Transport and Immigration Minister, Michael Wood, and Customs Minister, Meka Whaitiri, have also made their exits from the party. Wood’s departure in June was triggered by his failure to disclose a potential conflict of interest stemming from stock ownership, while Meka Whaitiri, a month earlier, defected to join another political faction.
Four months prior, in March, Police Minister Stuart Nash faced dismissal for divulging sensitive information to donors. An opinion poll conducted in April foreshadowed a closely contested upcoming election between the centre-left Labour Party and its primary opposition, the National Party.
