Jacinda Ardern has had to sack Iain Lees-Galloway, the Immigration, Workplace Relations Minister:
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has sacked Iain Lees-Galloway as a minister over an inappropriate relationship with a staff member in one of the departments he headed.
Ardern said the allegation related to an “inappropriate relationship” with a former staffer that had spanned a year.
His political career is now over and he will not contest September’s election.
Lees-Galloway – who is married with three children – had told her it was a consensual relationship that had ended several months ago.
Ardern said she had lost confidence in Lees-Galloway as he had improperly used his position of power.
“In undertaking this relationship he has opened himself up to accusations of improperly using his office,” she said.
“He has not modelled the behaviour I expect as a minister that is in charge of setting a standard and culture in work places.
“His actions have led me to lose my confidence in him as a minister.”
Iain Lees-Galloway has long had a reputation of a stick man about parliament. It was only a matter of time before this happened.
Now his parliamentary and ministerial career is in tatters.
The loss of a minister is also grounds for an urgent debate in the house, so this afternoon could get interesting.
National lost a backbench MP in trading blows between leaders but Labour has lost a minister. That’s game to Judith Collins who forced this issue onto a reluctant Prime Minister.
Media should now go around and ask every MP and Minister this question: “Have you ever had any inappropriate relations with a staff member?”
There are only three possible answers.
a) No (and run the risk of being busted lying)
b) Yes, and lose your job
c) No comment, and look seriously dodgy.
This is classic “have you stopped beating your wife yet?” stuff. But now it is fair game because rooting gets you sacked.