Broadcasting Minister Clare Curran is not in danger of being fired, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern says.
Ardern, speaking to Newstalk ZB's Chris Lynch this morning, said she had not considered firing Curran over a series of stumbles in recent times.
"No, because I think she's paid her price. I have huge expectations of my ministers and those in the ministry but I also accept from time to time they will also have bad days.
"I have to keep in mind that we do want to make sure that we don't set the bar so high that you can't have a situation where you show a bit of human frailty and lose your job over it," Ardern said.
Curran took personal leave on Thursday after a nightmare in Parliament on Wednesday.
The minister stumbled repeatedly in her answers to questions from the Opposition about her use of a personal email account for government business.
That came after her demotion from the Cabinet and the loss of two portfolios following revelations she failed to follow the proper process over a Beehive meeting with entrepreneur Derek Handley. That came after her coffee meeting with former RNZ boss Carol Hirschfeld which resulted in Hirschfeld losing her job.
Ardern said she had spoken to Curran about the past couple of days, "what's been going on for her".
"The minister, when she stood up, she paused. She took some time to answer some questions. She had a bad day. That happens."
Ardern yesterday asked the Cabinet Office to issue guidance on the use of alternate email accounts by ministers to clarify the issue.
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Thank God for some support from the boss. To be hounded like this from an aggressive opposition seeking to distract from their leader's overspending would affect any normal sensitive person and is not what we tax payers want to see. Curran has done so much for the people of South Dunedin and has a lot more to offer. Politicians- get on with the work for us and stop attacking each other.