Support from family ‘was not financial’

Metiria Turei says the support she received from family while committing benefit fraud was not financial.

The Green Party co-leader quit yesterday following allegations from a ‘‘close family member’’ who challenged the MPs’ claims she committed benefit fraud because needed the domestic purposes benefit when she was at law school and raising her daughter Piupiu.

The allegations were put to Turei by RNZ Checkpoint who said a family member told them the extended family found Turei’s comments about the hardships she faced in her 20s and her benefit fraud ‘‘galling’’.

Instead of responding, Turei later called the programme and said she was stepping down.

She told Checkpoint: ‘‘I have always said I did have really fantastic support from friends and family and that Piupiu’s family really supported me especially when I was in law school with things like you know, child care, stuff like that. Like the sort of stuff that you would expect. ‘‘But I was entirely financially responsible for myself and my daughter.’’

The claims made to RNZ included that Piupiu was loved and supported by extended family including her paternal grandmother, former North Shore Mayor and Labour MP Ann Hartley.

A statement from Checkpoint was later published, and it read: ‘‘The family member [of Turei] expressed disappointment Ms Turei’s friends didn’t speak up about the fraud at the time saying ‘that’s what’s galling for our extended family. It really is. It’s absolutely outrageous’.’’

Turei has said it is unlikely she will return to the Greens after the election. James Shaw will continue leading the party on his own until a new co-leader is selected.