Pressure on Ardern
WELLINGTON: Jacinda Ardern insisted in an interview yesterday morning Clare Curran’s job as a minister was safe — despite the Prime Minister accepting the errant MP’s resignation the previous night.
The underfire Ms Curran becomes the first casualty in the Ardern administration.
The PM said in a radio interview with Newstalk ZB’s Chris Lynch, recorded at 8am yester day, Ms Curran’s job was safe.
But it has now emerged Ms Curran told Ms Ardern on Thursday night she would quit — and Ms Ardern accepted her resignation.
‘‘Clare Curran contacted me last night to confirm her wish to resign as a minister and I accepted that resignation,’’ Ms Ardern said yesterday.
‘‘Clare has come to the view the issues currently surrounding her are causing an unacceptable distraction for the Government and immense pressure on her personally,’’ the PM said.
‘‘I agree with her assessment that resigning is the best course of action for the Government and for her.’’
In her interview with Lynch, Ms Ardern said she had not considered firing Ms Curran over a series of stumbles recently.
‘‘No, because I think she’s paid her price. I have huge expectations of my ministers and those in the ministry but I also accept from time to time they will also have bad days.
‘‘I have to keep in mind that we do want to make sure that we don’t set the bar so high that you can’t have a situation where you show a bit of human frailty and lose your job over it,’’ Ms Ardern said.
Ms Curran took personal leave on Thursday after a nightmare in Parliament on Wednesday.
❛ I agree with her assessment that resigning is the best course of action for the Government and for her
PM Jacinda Ardern