Former Minister Kiri Allan is not standing for re-election in her East Coast electorate because she needs "time to heal myself and chart a new course for my life".
Allan was arrested on Sunday after crashing a car on a waterfront Wellington road. She was charged with careless use of a motor vehicle and refusing to accompany a police officer, and will appear in court eventually. An infringement notice was also issued for excess breath alcohol between 250 and 400mcg.
Allan subsequently resigned from her ministerial roles and Prime Minister Chris Hipkins said she would take time to reconsider her political future.
The MP has been facing mental health problems in recent weeks and just returned from leave last week.
In a statement on Instagram, she outlined why she won't be standing for re-election and apologised to Hipkins and her colleagues.
Kiri Allan's full statement
Many people have placed their trust and confidence in me as a political leader. I have failed all those that put their trust and confidence in me.
I have let my electorate down, my Party down, and all those that relied on me.
Being the representative for the East Coast has been the greatest privilege of my life. But my actions have let everyone down.
To the Prime Minister - I have undermined you and the trust you placed in me to do an important job for New Zealand. I cannot express the remorse I feel. I am so, so sorry.
Second, to my colleagues and party members. I can't describe how full of anger towards myself for letting you all down. I am so, so sorry. Only a Labour-led Government can deliver the strength and support our communities need. I pray my actions do not impact the political landscape - my actions were mine, and mine alone.
Finally to the awesome people of the Mighty East Coast. Thank you for all your messages of love and support - I am so proud to have been your representative in Parliament, and I am so sorry to have let you down in a time when our region is hurting so much. I will continue to serve you as a MP until October and my offices are open with our arms wide open.
I tried to dare greatly, my face marred by dust and sweat and blood and I hope that there were benefits for the people and places I represented by being in the arena. I erred, many times, and kept trying to battle for our people that needed the most.
For now, it's time to step out of the arena. Im not sure how long for, or if I'll return, but my focus is now on trying to find a different kind of strength to serve our people and our place.
On that basis, I have decided I will not stand again in the East Coast electorate for this year's election. I need to take time to heal myself and chart a new course for my life.
As Teddy Roosevelt once put it so well:
"It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better.
"The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat."
