Who is Kiri Allan? Labour’s rising star, passionate minister to cancer battle, mental health struggles and political mishaps

This morning Kiri Allan resigned as Justice Minister after crashing her car overnight and being charged by police with careless use of a motor vehicle and failure to accompany a police officer. The Herald takes a look at Allan’s career including how she came to be in politics, the highs of the job and the struggles she faced.

Kiri Allan has never shied away from her mental health struggles - perhaps a sign of the times but also, in her words “real talk”, as a means to use her high profile to raise awareness.

She referred to it in many interviews and press stand-ups, including after she returned to Parliament following chemotherapy for cervical cancer and when speaking about her own experience as a teenager with gay conversion therapy through her church.

She was also known as one of the hardest workers in the Labour Government, taking on the Justice Minster role at a critical time and being widely praised for her handling of the March 2021 tsunami warnings as Emergency Management Response Minister, having received her cancer diagnosis the same day.

She was seen as a rising star within the party and even tipped by some as future Prime Minister material.

She was stoic and energetic in her role, but with a passion that also saw her get into trouble at times, with recent allegations surfacing about yelling at staff while Minister of Conservation.

Allan (Ngāti Ranginui and Ngāti Tūwharetoa), 39, grew up in Paengaroa in Bay of Plenty. She also spent time in Te Karaka near Gisborne, and went to high school in Auckland.

She was the ninth of 10 children, raised in the home of evangelical, Christian missionary parents. She was whāngai and raised by Gail, her mother’s older sister, and her father David.

Prior to entering Parliament as a Labour List MP in 2017, Allan was a commercial lawyer and business consultant focusing on forestry, horticulture, apiculture and dairy assets across the East Coast.

A white Hyundai Kona electric car driven by Kiri Allan could be seen in the middle of Evans Bay Parade just after 9pm last night.

According to an interview with E-Tangata, Allan got involved with Labour when she was 18, interning in former Prime Minister Helen Clark’s office in 2002.

She decided at the time politics was not for her, continuing to pursue a career in law, with support of some of the country’s greatest legal minds, including Annette Sykes and the late Moana Jackson.

She was previously married to lawyer Natalie Coates but is now separated. They have a young daughter together. Allan has a home in Gisborne where she spends her time while away from Parliament in Wellington.

Labour’s ‘rising star’

Allan entered Parliament in 2017 as a List MP and won the East Coast seat in 2020 amid the “red tidal wave” of support for Labour.

In early 2021, Allan, as Emergency Management Minister, led the country through flood responses and then a tsunami alert and massive evacuation, having only hours earlier received a diagnosis that she had stage three cervical cancer.

Allan was widely praised at the time for her calm response, with then-Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern praising the “incredibly determined” for her work.

On April 2021, Ardern publicly announced the diagnosis that Allan was taking medical leave from Parliament for chemotherapy.

Allan, then 37, called it the “fight of her life”.

At the time, Ardern said her response was “remarkable.

“If only people knew what else she was dealing with.”

Kiri Allan ahead of returning to work after nine weeks of intensive treatment for cervical cancer, with her parents, David and Gail Allan, at her home in Wellington. Photo / Mark Mitchell

After nine weeks of treatment, Allan returned to Parliament in July 2021. She paid tribute to her family, friends and colleagues for helping get her through, telling the Herald at the time “I don’t think I knew how much love I had in my life until that point”.

Allan held the ministerial portfolios of Emergency Management and Conservation at the time.

She became well-known and respected around the country for her work and media personality, particularly around her home East Coast/Tairāwhiti where she got stuck into local projects like the massive Raukūmara Pae Maunga restoration project.

In June 2022 she was promoted within Cabinet and became Justice Minister - the first with Māori whakapapa to hold the role - at a time when political pressure around crime was ramping up, dropping her Conservation and Emergency Management roles.

She was also given the Regional Development portfolio under Prime Minister Chris Hipkins in February this year.

2023 takes a turn - the RNZ speech

In 2023, Allan also started to make headlines for the wrong reasons.

In March, Allan gave a controversial speech at a private farewell event for her then-fiance Māni Dunlop who had resigned from RNZ.

Dunlop had been a contender to take over Susie Ferguson’s much-coveted co-presenter role on Morning Report. She was ultimately unsuccessful, with some commentators citing her relationship with Allan and potential conflicts given Allan’s ministerial portfolios.

Justice Minister Kiri Allan detailing the Government's third law and order announcement, to combat rising violent youth crime, earlier this month. Photo / Mark Mitchell

Dunlop subsequently quit, indicating during her final broadcast on Friday that she left because she was passed over for the “top job”.

At a leaving event later that day Allan was one of the speakers and made comments critical of RNZ, taking aim at “RNZ’s treatment of Māori reporters and urged the public broadcaster to have a look at its culture”.

Allan had to apologise after reporting on the issue by the Herald that, saying while she did not have ministerial responsibility for media and broadcasting, she sincerely apologised “if any of my comments or reflections said at Māni’s farewell made any person feel uncomfortable.

“On reflection, I also accept that it could have been interpreted as me telling RNZ how to manage their staff or company. That was not my intent and it is certainly not my job.”

Three months later, Allan confirmed that she and Dunlop were no longer in a relationship.

Meng Foon donations

In April, 1News revealed that Race Relations Commissioner Meng Foon had donated to Allan’s 2020 campaign.

As Justice Minister, Allan had responsibility for Human Rights Commissioners, and should have declared the potential perceived conflict with the Cabinet Office, despite the fact Allan was not the Minister when Foon was appointed or when the donations were made.

Allan consequently took steps to register the potential perceived conflict of interest with the Cabinet Office. It was also mentioned at the time given the donation was $1500 it was technically below the threshold for declared donations, but she chose to declare it anyway for transparency.

Concerns over ‘working relationships’ and personal struggles

Then on June 28, Stuff reported allegations around “working relationships” in Allan’s office in 2022.

Concerns were raised by the heads of two government agencies, the Department of Conservation (DoC) and the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) about how Allan had treated staff in her Cabinet office.

DoC director-general Penny Nelson said she became aware of concerns about the “working relationships with the minister in the office, and that it was not running as smoothly as it might.

“One person chose to end their secondment early due to the working relationships in the office. Accordingly, I had discussions with my colleagues, including from Internal Affairs, which manages Ministerial Services, regarding support in the office.

“No further concerns were subsequently brought to my attention, and I understand relationships improved.”

Justice Minister Kiri Allan on her way the Labour caucus earlier this month. Photo / Mark Mitchell

On the same day, Allan separately revealed she had been on mental health leave for the past week, saying personal circumstances and her workload had seen her “hit the wall.”

Allan posted on social media she had been “struggling with mental health and wellness” over the past few weeks.

“Triggered by personal circumstances, as well as other external things - even things like the cyclones having such a massive impact on our entire region,” said Allan, who is responsible for justice and regional development, and as East Coast MP is based right in the heart of areas hammered by successive cyclones and weather events this year.

“Sometimes things accumulate, and I hit a wall a few weeks ago.”

The following day Allan confirmed to the Herald that she and Dunlop were no longer in a relationship.

She later said the allegations and her mental health issues were not linked.

Allan responded to the allegations by saying that no one had laid a formal complaint about her behaviour.

Hipkins said he had reminded ministers about treating their staff with respect and that he would discuss workplace issues with Allan and her political future after he had returned from his trip to Europe.

On July 14, Hipkins confirmed that Allan would return from leave on July 17 to resume her ministerial duties and that she would also receive coaching to help her promote a “positive work environment.”

Allan issued an apology for her past behaviour and offered to speak to anyone who wanted to talk to her individually. She also said she would promote a positive workplace environment.

On returning, Allan said she had struggled with mental health issues for a “good part” of her adult life.

“I think what you saw there, mate, was somebody that was going through a bit of a rough time.

“I’ve sort of been pretty open about that. I’ve struggled with my mental health for a good part of my adult life. That’s something I try not to shy away from.”

She said she wanted to thank those who had supported her and would continue to work on it.

Allan was accompanied by Māori Development Minister Willie Jackson for support.

On the allegations around her workplace environment, Allan said she had reflected on them over Matariki.

“You want to create an environment where people will love strapping their boots on to come to work.

“My job I’ve been put in this role to do is to crack on in and deliver outcomes for the East Coast, but also in a range of portfolio areas ... to do that, you know, working with people is incredibly critical to that.

“Anybody who hasn’t felt like, you know, it’s been good to chuck the boots on and come to work ...

“Well, that’s something I want to take responsibility for and keep that door open.”

On her return to Parliament, Hipkins assured that Allan was in the right head space.

Justice Minister Kiri Allan and Prime Minister Chris Hipkins shortly before announcing the Government's third part of a law and order package last week. Photo / Mark Mitchell

Indeed, Allan fronted media again the following day to reveal the third part of Labour’s law and order package that week.

Allan appeared energised and across the issues - Hipkins said she was at “the top of her game” - a stark contrast to the previous day when Hipkins and Corrections and Children’s Minister Kelvin Davis were short on crucial details in their Oranga Tamariki announcement.

Then on Sunday evening, Allan crashed her car and was charged by police with careless use of a motor vehicle and failure to accompany a police officer.

She also returned a breath test over the legal limit but at a level considered an infringement offence, for which police did not press charges.

On Monday, Allan said in a statement she had resigned from her ministerial portfolios.

She said that she had faced a number of personal difficulties in recent weeks and had taken time off to address them. She believed she was OK to juggle them and the pressures of being a minister.

“My actions yesterday show I wasn’t okay, and I’ve let myself and my colleagues down,” Allan said.

“I accept that my position as a Minister is untenable.

“I’m very sorry for my actions, the harm they could have caused and the embarrassment it has placed on the Government and my colleagues.”

Allan said she was heading home to Gisborne to consider her future in politics.

Hipkins today told reporters Allan had been receiving counselling and professional support in recent weeks, but had been in “extreme emotional distress” at the time of the incident last night.

“It appears that some of her personal struggles came to a head yesterday and were contributing factors in this incident.

“There are not always quick fixes when it comes to mental health and things can flip very quickly and without warning. The best thing for Kiri right now is to focus on her whānau and her well-being and to be away from Parliament.”

Michael Neilson is a political reporter based at Parliament in Wellington. He has been a journalist since 2016, first at the Gisborne Herald before joining the NZ Herald in 2018, covering the environment, social issues and Māori affairs. He started in the Press Gallery team in 2021.