New Zealand justice minister quits after being charged over car crash

" an alcohol breath test that was over the limit, Hipkins said. The minister was briefly held in police custody after the crash "

REALLY ? Anyone else would have been thrown in the slammer for what TWO WEEKS ?

That's what it is in the US.

I don't think you're going to just walk away from that in Japan either...anyone ? Anyone ?

Must be embarrassing - especially for the progressive lefties getting caught red-mitted in full "do as I say not as I do mode".

Causing an accident whilst drunk should be gaol.

NZ's 6th labour government have never had an easy ride. Installed in 2017 by a maverick politician despite the country voting for the conservative party and then covid handed them a walkover victory in 2020. Despite that the deeply inadequate Ardern carried on while over net approval rating plummet from an almost fantastical 80% to a negative rating in the space of 6 months. Her replacement, Chris 'Chippy' Hipkins has seen the most stunning self-destruction of the party and his cabinet Ministers. The truth is that they were woefully unprepared to take power in 2017 and they have had a disastrous effect on NZ. Driving divisive race-based policies on a deeply unapproving country, whilst the results of their incredibly poorly thought out lockdown programme and money printing has left NZ reeling economically. The Justice Minister, Kiri Allen is deeply disliked as she is a known bully and Iwi-elitist snob. All her talk of mental health has happened since she has been exposed and it smacks of an expensive PR narrative pivot that has now ultimately failed in a drunken, boorish car crash. She is the perfect metaphor for this 6th Labour government. I for one cannot wait to see the back of them.

Must be embarrassing - especially for the progressive lefties getting caught red-mitted in full "do as I say not as I do mode".

It's embarrassing for the NZ government. It isn't some worldwide embarrassment for leftists as you seem to think, as if all human activity is viewed through the lens of a football score about the political learnings of people who do things.

It's embarrassing for the NZ government. It isn't some worldwide embarrassment for leftists as you seem to think, as if all human activity is viewed through the lens of a football score about the political learnings of people who do things.

Absolutely this.

"It's embarrassing for the NZ government. It isn't some worldwide embarrassment for leftists as you seem to think, as if all human activity is viewed through the lens of a football score about the political learnings of people who do things."

I guess you take that personally somehow, that wasn't the desired effect. She is left wing - that is fact - but more importantly the freaking justice minister of NZ. And there she was refusing to comply with the police after causing an accident. It's a classic case of "do as I say not as I do". She should go to gaol.

"Yeah, nah, it's one incident with one individual not a pattern of behaviour within the govt."

Seriously?

Heh.

They're all the same politicians. Power hungry, self-centred individuals. And I love it when the houlier-than-thou types get caught, it's refreshing to see them squirm.

Easy to see how this government has become unhinged.

NZ's 6th labour government have never had an easy ride. Installed in 2017 by a maverick politician despite the country voting for the Conservative Party…

Same maverick politician is trying to get involved again. I just hope people have learned from the last time.

So everyone freaking out about this thinks all politicians who break the law should go directly to jail?

Are you sure?

One individual + 1 incident ≠ unhinged govt

I read the article:

*Allan is the fourth minister to leave cabinet in Hipkins' center-left government since he replaced Jacinda Ardern as prime minister in January.*

quote: everyone is very concerned for Kiri.

Don't be concerned for drunk drivers. Be concerned for their victims.

Most progressive politicians are not in it for power obviously because they want to create positive change, whereas rich conservatives (they're usually rich) want to hold onto their wealth by keeping the status quo.

LOL! Most "progressive" politicians are just as power-hungry as any other politicians and want to mould society into what they see as the ideal - with them in control, of course, and with minimal accountability for the damage they do.

These days most "progressive" politicians, not unlike most of their opponents, are careerists who started off as union officials and/or support staff for sitting members to pay their party dues, then go up as candidates. Some are ex-public servants. Very few have real-world experience out in the private or NPO sector where they actually have to produce results, so they have little experience with the link between actions and consequences. I'd hazard a guess that this particular politician is one of those, but thankfully in this case she lost her position.

I think that is a projection on your part. Most left-wing progressive politicians come from poor or modest backgrounds and in the service sector like educators, policymakers and community workers. Lest I remind you the vast majority of the evolution of society is from progressives (hence the name) including giving women the vote, human rights including race relations, the right for gays to marry, humanistic education, promoting environmentally friendly policies to protect the Earth etc. All things opposed by conservatives yet even they are glad to have today.

That may have been true to a certain extent in the past, but nowadays they are mainly party hacks and/or activists with little real-world experience. There's a similar pattern among many of their opponents.

Forgive me, but that's a bit too rambly for me to respond to.

In other words, you have no argument in response.