More dirty linen: Ardern sacks minister over affair with staffer
New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has sacked Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Iain Lees-Galloway after revelations of an “inappropriate relationship” with a former staffer.
Less than two months before the September 19 election, Ardern fired her Labour colleague, who was also immigration minister, for ānot modelling the behaviour I expect as a ministerā.
Ardern summoned the 41-year-old to her office on Tuesday after being forwarded a series of allegations from the Opposition Leaderās office.
Without disclosing many details in an attempt to protect the privacy of the staff member, Ardern said she lost confidence in Lees-Galloway given the nature of the pairās working relationship and his ministerial responsibilities.
āI am weary about making moral judgments here. For me this is about conduct within a particular set of ministerial expectations,ā she said.
āIn undertaking this relationship he has opened himself up to an allegation of improperly using his office,ā Ardern said.
āParliament is a place where we maintain standards.
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āHe has not modelled the behaviour I expect as a minister.ā
Lees-Galloway, who is married with three children, told the Labour leader the year-long affair was consensual but accepted the PMās call in a brief written statement.
āI have acted completely inappropriately in my position and cannot continue as a minister,ā he said.
āI have apologised to my family for letting them down. Please appreciate their privacy. I also apologise to anyone who has been hurt by my actions.ā
The 41-year-oldās departure comes two days after opposition MP Andrew Falloon resigned from parliament for sending unsoliticited pornographic images to young women.
Falloonās shock exit ā which is being investigated by police ā began with an email to Ardernās office, which the PM forwarded to opposition leader Judith Collins.
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In a role reversal, Lees-Gallowayās political demise was assured when Ms Collins received an email from a third party.
Collinsā went public with the tip-off during a television appearance on Wednesday morning.
āI have advised the prime minister and I have asked for anybody who has that information to send it directly to her,ā Collins told Three.
Ardern indirectly criticised Ms Collins for raising the matter in the media.
āThere are clear differences in the way I chose to deal with the information I received ā¦ itās up to everyone elseās judgment whether it was appropriate,ā she said.
Lees-Gallowayās portfolios have been redistributed among senior Labour MPs, with Kris Faafoi entering Cabinet.
Faafoi picks up immigration, former leader Andrew Little adds workplace relations to his Justice responsibilities and Carmel Sepuloni takes up the Accident Compensation Corporation load.
Last year, Faafoi was forced to apologise after promising to improperly intervene in an immigration request on behalf of a friend ā only to not do so.
-AAP
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