WikimediaKiri Allan
NOS Nieuws•vandaag, 03:46
New Zealand Justice Minister Kiri Allan has resigned after being arrested in a car accident the night before.
Allan had been hit by a car in Wellington and initially refused to go with the police after her arrest. A breathalyzer test showed she had consumed more alcohol than the legal limit.
Mental problems
The minister had just returned last week after she briefly resigned from her duties at the end of June due to mental problems. Prime Minister Hipkins reported at a press conference that he had spoken with Allan after the arrest. “I feel terrible for Kiri and I am concerned for her health,” he said.
“Over the past few weeks, I’ve had to face some personal issues,” Allen wrote in a statement. “I took time off to deal with that and thought it was about combining these challenges with the pressures of being a minister. But my actions yesterday show that I’m not doing well.”
Arden’s successor
She says she is considering a possible continuation of her political career. She was mentioned at the beginning of this year as a possible successor to Jacinda Ardern as prime minister, but then left the race herself.
Allan is the fourth minister to have been dismissed or left voluntarily since March. In May, Immigration Minister Michael Wood resigned for failing to report holding shares in Auckland airport.
The same month, Customs Minister Meka Whaitiri was fired for switching political parties. And in March, Secretary of Police Stuart Nash was fired for giving confidential information to campaign donors.
2023-07-24 01:46:25
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