Prime Minister Chris Hipkins says he hasn’t been thinking about how damaging Kiri Allan’s arrest and resignation is for Labour ahead of the general election.
Allan was charged with careless use of a motor vehicle and refusing to accompany a police officer following a crash on Evans Bay Parade, in the Wellington suburb of Roseneath, shortly after 9pm yesterday.
An infringement notice was issued as Allan had excess breath alcohol between 250-400 micrograms (mcg) of alcohol per litre of breath.
In a statement this morning, Allan said she would resign from all her portfolios immediately.
Hipkins said he was given information Allan was experiencing emotional distress, repeating what he had earlier published in a statement. His immediate concern was for her wellbeing.
He referenced how she had recently taken time off and that she was “at the top of her game” at Parliament last week. However, he said things could flip without warning when mental health was involved.
“It was a difficult conversation... she’s not in a good space. I’m gutted for Kiri, I’m concerned for her wellbeing.”
Allan is due to appear in court “at a later date”, according to a police statement.
Asked if it was time for a snap election, Hipkins said there would be an election on October 14; the public had elected Labour and therefore had confidence in the Government.
He didn’t think now was the right time to make someone else a minister, given how close it was to the House rising and the election campaign starting. He was confident current ministers could handle the workload.
He received “conflicting messages” about who was driving and wasn’t able to get all the details last night, partly because he hadn’t been able to contact her. But that had since been clarified that Allan was indeed driving, as per her charge.
“It was a pretty straightforward conversation,” Andersen said of her discussion with Hipkins. She said people who love and care for Allan were with her through the night following the incident.
The Prime Minister said he couldn’t provide details on where Allan was driving and why she had allegedly resisted arrest, except to say she was in a distressed state.
Allan had been receiving counselling and professional support when she returned to work. “Ultimately, mental health is incredibly challenging.”
It hadn’t been clear who was driving last night, there was a suggestion Allan had said she wasn’t driving, Hipkins said.
Allan had indicated she would go away and do some thinking, but Hipkins said there would be a time to discuss her ability to represent the people of Whakatane.
On her explanation for her behaviour, Hipkins said he didn’t want to go into details about that, except to say Allan had referenced aspects of her mental health during their conversation this morning.
It was more appropriate for police to share further details on what exactly happened during the incident, he said, and didn’t know whether Allan was arrested at the scene or not.
“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."
Hipkins said that he was supporting Allan but isn’t trying to diminish her actions, which he said were “indefensible”.
The Prime Minister will reallocate her portfolios, including justice, regional development, associate finance and associate transport.
Allan considering future
Allan, in a statement, said she had immediately resigned and was heading home to the East Coast and will take time to “consider my future in politics.
“I accept that my position as a minister is untenable,” she said.
“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.
“My actions yesterday show I wasn’t okay, and I’ve let myself and my colleagues down,” Allan said.
‘Absolutely devastating’ - colleagues react to arrest
Education Minister Jan Tinetti says news of Allan’s arrest and charges was “absolutely devastating”.
Tinetti, speaking to reporters at Wellington Airport, said Allan was a friend and colleague and that the incident was “just horrible. I think that mental health is something that we have to take really, really seriously and this just shows how tragic this is.”
Allan had recently taken time off to address mental health issues but returned to Parliament on Monday last week.
Tinetti didn’t believe Allan was brought back to work too soon, saying she was with Allan through last week, including the pair going on a walk on Wednesday night, and “she was good”.
“That just shows how unpredictable mental health is and we have to take this very seriously and this needs to be something that, as a country, we need to look at how unpredictable this is and how vulnerable people are in these situations.”
Tinetti said hearing the news was “devastating, absolutely devastating. “I am so worried about my friend right now.”
She denied the incident was being minimised when asked by reporters, saying Allan had lost her job.
