Whaitiri to step aside as minister
WELLINGTON: Government Minister Meka Whaitiri will stand aside from her portfolios while an investigation is carried out into a staffing matter in her office.
It is understood Ms Whaitiri has been stood down as the result of an alleged incident during a heated argument with a staff member.
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said she had accepted Ms Whaitiri’s offer to stand aside while the investigation was completed.
While the matter, which has not been disclosed, was being investigated, Kris Faafoi would act as Customs Minister.
Ms Whaitiri’s Associate Minister responsibilities in Agriculture, Local Government and Crown/Maori Relations would revert to the lead portfolio ministers.
‘‘Meka Whaitiri has told me she will be fully cooperating with the investigation, which will be thorough and conducted as quickly as possible,’’ Ms Ardern said in a statement.
Ms Ardern and Ms Whaitiri, who is a Minister outside Cabinet, said they would not comment further, citing privacy reasons, while the investigation was carried out by Ministerial Services.
The minister has had a high staff turnover since she was appointed — at least five staff members have moved on since she got the job less than a year ago.
It is the second Labour Government minister within a week to fall: Clare Curran was demoted from Cabinet and lost two portfolios last Friday over her mishandling of a meeting with entrepreneur Derek Handley.
It was strike two for Ms Curran after she failed to disclose a latenight Beehive meeting with Mr Handley over the chief technology officer role.
Ms Curran did not diary the meeting and no staff were present. She also failed to mention the meeting in response to written questions.
Former RNZ executive Carol Hirschfeld lost her job after she and Ms Curran met at a Wellington cafe, a meeting they described as coincidental when it had been arranged.
Ms Whaitiri was elected to Parliament in 2013 in a byelection in the Maori seat of IkaroaRawhiti, succeeding her former boss, Labour’s Parekura Horomia. — NZME