Kiri Allan’s career is finally over. Yesterday she announced that she was not standing at the next election, and was bowing out of politics. This was the sensible and right decision to make. However there is something very whiffy about how this has all been handled.
Firstly there are the questions over precisely how the whole accident occurred, and then some very curious coincidences – even for Wellington.
But firstly, and this was something I tweeted about very early on, why was Kiri Allan even driving her self-drive car at the time? She was a minister; VIP Transport is available 24/7 for ministers to avail themselves of in the event they may have had a few too many, or even the mere whiff of alcohol for that matter.
Why wasn’t she using VIP Transport? Is there a reason for that? Is it the case that Allan was actually not able to use VIP Transport for whatever reason?
But those questions just raise others. Like, why couldn’t she have used Uber, or grabbed a cab?
All of those questions just confirm that, irrespective of the influence of alcohol, there really wasn’t too much logic going into her decision making or thinking that night. It makes one wonder whether in fact this problem has been there for some considerable time.
Then there is the curious case of the house which was overlooking the crash:
Kiri Allan’s late-night crash took place outside the home of a senior Justice Ministry official.
The former justice minister is facing criminal charges – and pressure to explain whether she left the scene of the accident on Wellington’s Evans Bay Parade on Sunday night.
Stuff can reveal the smash – in which the white Hyundai Kona Allan was driving rounded a gentle bend and collided with a ute – happened in the street outside the home the advisor shares with her husband, and young son.
It is not clear if the Mazda truck is owned by the family. The force shunted the stationary ute over a driveway and left dents, bumper damage and two flat tyres. By Tuesday, it had been towed from the scene.
Immediately after the accident, lights were seen on in the home, but no-one answered the door. Stuff has been unable to reach anyone at the address, or the family for comment.
The Ministry of Justice has not commented. However, it is understood the two have never met and the event is thought to be a co-incidence.
Stuff
David Farrar sums it up best:
Very weird coincidence.
But all of these cascading errors from the Government are cementing an overriding feeling that this Government is in reality dysfunctional and it is time for a change.
The media certainly think so. Here is a selection of headlines and quotes from yesterday:
- Audrey Young: it will be a miracle if Chris Hipkins can rescue his Government from this.
- Barry Soper: Dame Jacinda Ardern left Chris Hipkins to clean up the mess she created. “The Ardern/Hipkins Government have failed on so many fronts, despite their unbridled power, the strongest majority since the first Labour Government of Mickey Joseph Savage 1935 …This Government has left a lawless, impoverished, struggling country, longing for relief.”
- Jenna Lynch: Kiri Allan’s sudden departure leaves Labour fighting for political survival, public confidence.
- Fran O’Sullivan: The Government needs to be put out of its misery with an early election.
- Kerry Woodham: The Government is a rudderless ship.
- Felix Desmarais: Did Labour just lose the election?
- Jonathan Milne: Labour’s car crash of an election campaign
It is hard to imagine Labour being re-elected after this litany of failure, but then again Covid showed us that the vast majority of voters really are desperately stupid.
Let’s vote these clowns out. Surely there is a circus out there looking for a few new performers.
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