Justice Minister Kiri Allan has resigned as a Cabinet minister after being charged with reckless driving and resisting arrest in Wellington. Video / NZ Herald
Justice Minister Kiri Allan has resigned as a Cabinet minister after being charged with careless driving and refusing to accompany police after she crashed her car in Wellington last night.
Allan was taken into police custody on Sunday night after a car crash in Wellington and “is assisting with inquiries”.
A statement from Prime Minister Chris Hipkins said that Allan was taken into custody and held in Wellington Central Police station after the crash on Evans Bay Parade in Wellington at 9pm last night.
Damage can be seen on a ute parked on Evans Bay Parade after last night's crash involving Kiri Allan. Photo / Nick James
Hipkins said in a statement that Allan was charged with reckless driving and resisting arrest and was released custody at 1am Monday.
A statement from police, which did not name Allan, said a person had been charged with careless use of a motor vehicle and refusing to accompany a police officer following a crash on Evans Bay Parade in Roseneath last night shortly after 9pm.
An infringement notice was issued as Allan had excess breath alcohol between 250-400 micrograms (mcg) of alcohol per litre of breath.
Allan would appear in court “at a later date”, according to the police statement.
Police say they received a report of a crash involving two vehicles on Evans Bay Parade, which was blocked for a short time. No injuries were reported.
Allan returned a breath test over the legal limit at a level considered an “infringement offence”, Hipkins said. She will not be charged over the breath test.
Kiri Allan was charged with reckless driving and resisting arrest. Photo / Mark Mitchell
“While her alleged actions are inexcusable, I’ve been advised she was experiencing extreme emotional distress at the time of the incident. 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.
Hipkins said that he is 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, 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.
Prime Minister Chris Hipkins will reassign Kiri Allan's portfolios including Justice and Regional Development. Photo / Mark Mitchell
RNZ has been provided photos taken last night of a Hyundai Kona - an electric car available to ministers - blocking one lane of a road.
Allan returned to her full ministerial duties on Monday last week after taking some time away from Parliament due in part to a relationship break-up.
While she was taking a few days of mental health leave, separate allegations were reported regarding her treatment of staff, which she strongly denied.
She then took another two weeks off over Parliament’s recess.
Act leader David Seymour, speaking to Newstalk ZB, said he was sad after hearing what had happened, saying he had known Allan for a long time and thought she was generally a “good sort”.
“She has clearly been struggling deeply and personally over the last few months and years, possibly.”
Seymour criticised Hipkins for allowing Allan to return to work without a “proper inquiry”.
