The following is a list of governmental and public sector scandals in New Zealand. While New Zealand generally scores very well on international indices of corruption, there have been several notable high-profile scandals including cases of cover-ups relating to politics, economics, or
public sector
The public sector, also called the state sector, is the part of the economy composed of both public services and public enterprises. Public sectors include the public goods and governmental services such as the military, law enforcement, infra ...
debacles, or to the private lives of individual government representatives.
List of scandals
1890s
*1892 –
Mayor of Wellington
The Mayor of Wellington is the head of the municipal government of the City of Wellington. The mayor presides over the Wellington City Council. The mayor is directly elected using the Single Transferable Vote method of proportional representati ...
Arthur Winton Brown
Arthur Winton Brown JP (27 December 1856 – 27 July 1916) was the mayor of Wellington, New Zealand, in 1886 and 1891. He died at New Orleans, Louisiana.
Family
Brown was born at Port Chalmers, Dunedin on 27 December 1856. He was the son of c ...
absconds to Australia to escape the consequences of the possible collapse of his businesses.
*1898 –
Liberal Party
The Liberal Party is any of many political parties around the world. The meaning of ''liberal'' varies around the world, ranging from liberal conservatism on the right to social liberalism on the left.
__TOC__ Active liberal parties
This is a li ...
MP William Larnach
William James Mudie Larnach (27 January 1833 – 12 October 1898) was a New Zealand businessman and politician. He is known for his extravagant incomplete house near Dunedin called Larnach's castle by his opponents and now known as Larnach C ...
commits suicide in a parliament committee room, the result of impending financial disasters and (reputedly) rumours over a sexual relationship between his wife and her step-son.
*1899 – The "Marine Scandal".
John Hutcheson
John Hutcheson (1853–1940) was a Member of Parliament in New Zealand, for the Liberal Party.
Biography
Early life
A native of Dumbarton, Scotland, where he was born in 1855, he was educated at the Dumbarton Academy, where he gained a Sou ...
fellow MP
Frederick Pirani
Frederick Pirani (3 December 1858 – 26 October 1926) was a New Zealand politician. He was Member of the House of Representatives for Palmerston from 1893 to 1902, first as a Liberal, then as an Independent. He was part of the Liberal Party's ...
accused Prime Minister
Richard Seddon
Richard John Seddon (22 June 1845 – 10 June 1906) was a New Zealand politician who served as the List of prime ministers of New Zealand, 15th Prime Minister of New Zealand, premier (prime minister) of New Zealand from 1893 until his death. ...
and Minister of Marine
William Hall-Jones
Sir William Hall-Jones (16 January 1851 – 19 June 1936) was the 16th prime minister of New Zealand from June 1906 until August 1906.
Hall-Jones entered parliament in 1890, later becoming a member of the Liberal Party. He was interim prime mi ...
of using ministerial influence in order to obtain Mariners certificates for unqualified candidates, which was in contravention to the recent Shipping and Seamen's Act. However, the Marine Commission report declared that the charges were unfounded. Hutcheson resigned his seat in order to exonerate himself triggering a
by-election
A by-election, also known as a special election in the United States and the Philippines, a bye-election in Ireland, a bypoll in India, or a Zimni election (Urdu: ضمنی انتخاب, supplementary election) in Pakistan, is an election used to f ...
, which he won.
1900s
![A Split in the New Liberal Party](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f7/A_Split_in_the_New_Liberal_Party.jpg)
*1905 –
Francis Fisher
Francis Marion Bates Fisher (22 December 1877 – 24 July 1960) was a New Zealand Member of Parliament from Wellington. He was known as Rainbow Fisher for his frequent changes of political allegiance. He was a veteran of the Boer War and an in ...
, a ringleader of the
New Liberal Party caused much controversy in the so-called "voucher incident",
in which he alleged that
Richard Seddon
Richard John Seddon (22 June 1845 – 10 June 1906) was a New Zealand politician who served as the List of prime ministers of New Zealand, 15th Prime Minister of New Zealand, premier (prime minister) of New Zealand from 1893 until his death. ...
's son had been received payment from a government department for work he had not done. The allegations were subsequently disproven, and the New Liberals suffered considerable public backlash.
1910s
*1918 – MP
Paddy Webb
Patrick Charles Webb (30 November 1884 – 23 March 1950) was a New Zealand trade unionist and politician.
Early life
Webb was born in Rutherglen, a small town in the Australian state of Victoria. His father, George Webb, was a miner, and P ...
is controversially sent to jail for refusing
military service
Military service is service by an individual or group in an army or other militia, air forces, and naval forces, whether as a chosen job (volunteer) or as a result of an involuntary draft (conscription).
Some nations (e.g., Mexico) require a ...
.
1920s
*1920 –
Charles Mackay Charles (or Charlie) Mackay, McKay, or MacKay may refer to:
* Charles Mackay (author) (1814–1889), Scottish poet, journalist, author, anthologist, novelist, and songwriter
* Charles McKay (1855–1883), American naturalist and explorer
* Charles ...
the
Mayor of Wanganui
The mayor of Whanganui (previously Wanganui) is the head of the Whanganui District Council. Since 1872, there have been 29 mayors. Andrew Tripe is the current mayor.
History
The Wanganui Town Board was first formed in 1862, and its first chairman ...
was convicted of the attempted murder of
Walter D'Arcy Cresswell
Walter D'Arcy Cresswell (22 January 1896 – 21 February 1960) was a New Zealand poet, journalist and writer.
Life and career
Cresswell was born in Christchurch, New Zealand, to Hannah (née Reese) and Walter Joseph Cresswell, a solicitor. His e ...
, who had been blackmailing Mackay to expose his homosexuality to the public and discredit him.
1930s
![Colin Scrimgeour](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/da/Colin_Scrimgeour.jpg)
*1934 – Sir
Āpirana Ngata
Sir Āpirana Turupa Ngata (3 July 1874 – 14 July 1950) was a prominent New Zealand statesman. He has often been described as the foremost Māori politician to have served in Parliament in the mid-20th century, and is also known for his work ...
then
Minister of Native Affairs in the
United-Reform Coalition government resigns as minister after accusations of departmental maladministration and favouritism were supported by a Royal Commission.
*1935 – Officials from New Zealand's national radio service, at the time part of the
New Zealand Post Office
The New Zealand Post Office (NZPO) was a government department of New Zealand until 1987. It was previously (from 1881 to 1959) named the New Zealand Post and Telegraph Department (NZ P&T).
As a government department, the New Zealand Post Office ...
, attempt to block a broadcast by the popular Rev.
Colin Scrimgeour
The Reverend Colin Graham Scrimgeour (30 January 1903 – 16 January 1987), also known as Uncle Scrim or Scrim, was a New Zealand Methodist Minister and broadcaster.
Biography Life and ministry
Born in Wairoa, Hawke's Bay, he entered the Metho ...
, fearing that he would advise his listeners to vote for the opposition
Labour Party. The Coalition government is implicated, causing a furore.
*1938–40 –
The Lee Affair
The Lee affair was an event that transpired in the late 1930s in New Zealand revolving around the unequivocally socialist Labour Party MP John A. Lee, and his repeated public critiquing of his party's leadership. The affair culminated with Lee's ...
: Severe disharmony is caused within the Labour Party by a long running feud between
Prime Minister
A prime minister, premier or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. Under those systems, a prime minister is not ...
Michael Joseph Savage
Michael Joseph Savage (23 March 1872 – 27 March 1940) was a New Zealand politician who served as the 23rd prime minister of New Zealand, heading the First Labour Government from 1935 until his death in 1940.
Savage was born in the Colony ...
and senior Labour Party member
John A. Lee
John Alfred Alexander Lee (31 October 1891 – 13 June 1982) was a New Zealand politician and writer. He is one of the more prominent avowed socialism in New Zealand, socialists in New Zealand's political history.
Lee was elected as a me ...
.
1940s
*1941 – The 'Nathan Incident': a scandal developed revolving around Hubert Nathan, a
Citizens' Association candidate for the
Wellington Harbour Board
(Strong but true)
, predecessor =
, merged =
, successor =
, formation =
, founder =
, founding_location =
, dissolved =
, merger =
, type ...
who was critical of the number of union secretaries on the Labour ticket for the
1941 civic elections. Nathan alleged that 5 unionists used "Gestapo tactics" to try and blackmail him into withdrawing his nomination and accusing them of
Antisemitism
Antisemitism (also spelled anti-semitism or anti-Semitism) is hostility to, prejudice towards, or discrimination against Jews. A person who holds such positions is called an antisemite. Antisemitism is considered to be a form of racism.
Antis ...
. The press ran articles on the alleged confrontation (which was refuted by Labour) and as a result no Labour candidates were elected to any of the three local authorities in Wellington until 1950.
*1942 –
Bert Kyle
Herbert Seton Stewart Kyle (29 August 1873 – 5 January 1955) was a member of the Reform Party (New Zealand), Reform Party and since 1936 New Zealand National Party, National Party Member of Parliament in New Zealand.
Early life and professio ...
resigned from the National Party at the climax of a personality feud with leader
Sidney Holland
Sir Sidney George Holland (18 October 1893 – 5 August 1961) was a New Zealand politician who served as the 25th prime minister of New Zealand from 13 December 1949 to 20 September 1957. He was instrumental in the creation and consolidation o ...
. Kyle publicly accused Holland of blackmailing him into becoming a "yes man" or be expelled from the party. Kyle remained an independent MP and retired at the 1943 election.
1950s
*1956 – In February 1956, Prime Minister Sidney Holland announced that
Dean Eyre
Dean Jack Eyre (8 May 1914 – 19 May 2007) was a New Zealand politician of the National Party.
Biography Early life and career
Eyre was born in Westport in 1914. His father was an official with the Customs Department and due to this the fa ...
, the
Minister of Industries and Commerce
The Minister of Industries and Commerce in New Zealand is a former cabinet position (existing from 1894 to 1972) appointed by the Prime Minister to be in charge of matters of industrial and commercial growth and trade. In 1972 it was replaced w ...
and
Minister of Customs The Minister of Customs was a position in the Cabinet of the Government of Canada responsible for the administration of customs revenue collection in Canada. This position was originally created by Statute 31 Vict., c. 43, and assented to on 22 May ...
, had been granted six weeks leave in order to attend to private business in
Sweden
Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden,The United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names states that the country's formal name is the Kingdom of SwedenUNGEGN World Geographical Names, Sweden./ref> is a Nordic country located on ...
. The Leader of the Opposition,
Walter Nash
Sir Walter Nash (12 February 1882 – 4 June 1968) was a New Zealand politician who served as the 27th prime minister of New Zealand in the Second Labour Government from 1957 to 1960. He is noted for his long period of political service, havin ...
, was critical of the decision. Nash questioned the appropriateness of a minister of the crown conducting his private business abroad. Holland was quick to dismiss any suggestion of impropriety, but was soon to swallow his words. Both ''
The Evening Post'' and ''
The Dominion'' (Wellington papers who normally wrote editorials slanted in favour of National) also went on the attack in editorials, urging Holland to reconsider. A surprised Holland reacted quickly and Eyre was forced to cancel his trip, and was stripped of his portfolios and given to
Eric Halstead
Eric Henry Halstead (26 May 1912 – 18 June 1991) was a New Zealand politician of the National Party and later a diplomat.
Biography Early life and career
Halstead was born in Auckland in 1912, and educated at Auckland Grammar School and A ...
. To ease the situation, Eyre was allocated Halstead's portfolios of Social Security and Tourism instead.
*1959 –
Truth (NZ) Ltd v Holloway
''Truth (NZ) Ltd v Holloway'' 961
Year 961 ( CMLXI) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar.
Events
By place
Byzantine Empire
* March 6 – Siege of Chandax: Byzantine forces under Nikephoros II Phokas cap ...
NZLR 22 (PC) is a case of the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council on appeal from the Court of Appeal of New Zealand regarding the legal issue of defamation and Freedom of speech, free speech.
Background
Th ...
: In March 1959 the tabloid newspaper ''
New Zealand Truth
''New Zealand Truth'' was a tabloid newspaper published weekly in New Zealand from 1905 to 2013.
History
''New Zealand Truth'' was founded in 1905 by Australian John Norton in Wellington, as a New Zealand edition of his Sydney ''Truth'', aim ...
'' quoted
Warren Freer
Warren Wilfred Freer (27 December 1920 – 29 March 2013) was a New Zealand politician and member of the Labour Party. He represented the Mount Albert electorate from 1947 to . He is internationally known as the first Western politician ever ...
, MP for , as having stated "See Phil, and Phil will fix it" to Henry Judd, an émigré importer, insinuating
Phil Holloway
Philip North Holloway (22 March 1917 – 28 May 2003) was a New Zealand politician of the Labour Party.
Biography Early life and career
Holloway was born in Hokitika in 1917. His father was an Anglican parson and he received his secondary ed ...
the
Minister of Industries and Commerce
The Minister of Industries and Commerce in New Zealand is a former cabinet position (existing from 1894 to 1972) appointed by the Prime Minister to be in charge of matters of industrial and commercial growth and trade. In 1972 it was replaced w ...
(who was in charge of import controls) could grant Judd an ease-of-passage remedy for controlled imports. The allegation evolved into a libel case in which Holloway was eventually awarded in damages and a further in costs.
1960s
*1966 – The
Mason Affair: New Labour Party leader
Norman Kirk
Norman Eric Kirk (6 January 1923 – 31 August 1974) was a New Zealand politician who served as the 29th prime minister of New Zealand from 1972 until his sudden death in 1974.
Born into poverty in Southern Canterbury, Kirk left school at ...
, wishing to rejuvenate the party, puts pressure on
Rex Mason
Henry Greathead Rex Mason (3 June 1885 – 2 April 1975) was a New Zealand politician. He served as Attorney General, Minister of Justice, Minister of Education, and Minister of Native Affairs, and had a significant influence on the directi ...
and several other elderly MPs to retire. A messy deselection of Mason occurred causing bad publicity for Labour ahead of that years election with several party officeholders in Mason's electorate resigning in protest of his forced retirement.
1970s
![Muldoon 26 June 1969](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/89/Muldoon_26_June_1969.jpg)
*1970 – An ugly, public leadership struggle between
Vernon Cracknell
Vernon Francis Cracknell (30 May 1912 – 4 June 1989) was a New Zealand politician. He served as the Social Credit Party's third leader (1963–1970).
Early life
Cracknell was born in Auckland on 30 May 1912. He was educated at Auckland Gramm ...
and his deputy
John O'Brien for leadership of the
Social Credit Party ended in disaster. It cumulated with brawling between supporters of each candidate with considerable damage done to the party's image. O'Brien was the victor, but his blunt and confrontational style caused him to lose his position after only a short time in office. He then split from Social Credit, founding his own
New Democratic Party
The New Democratic Party (NDP; french: Nouveau Parti démocratique, NPD) is a federal political party in Canada. Widely described as social democratic,The party is widely described as social democratic:
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
* t ...
.
*1976 –
Fitzgerald v Muldoon
''Fitzgerald v Muldoon and Others'' is a 1976 New Zealand Supreme Court case concerning whether press statements by Robert Muldoon had breached section 1 of the Bill of Rights 1688. In its decision, the court ruled "That the pretended power of s ...
: Prime Minister
Robert Muldoon
Sir Robert David Muldoon (; 25 September 19215 August 1992) was a New Zealand politician who served as the 31st Prime Minister of New Zealand, from 1975 to 1984, while leader of the National Party.
Serving as a corporal and sergeant in th ...
advised the Governor-General to abolish Labour's superannuation scheme without new legislation. In the case it was found that revoking a law in such a manner without consent of Parliament was illegal under the
Bill of Rights 1689
The Bill of Rights 1689 is an Act of the Parliament of England, which sets out certain basic civil rights and clarifies who would be next to inherit the Crown, and is seen as a crucial landmark in English constitutional law. It received Royal ...
.
*1976 – Labour MP
Gerald O'Brien
John Gerald O’Brien (2 December 1924 – 13 December 2017), known as Gerald O'Brien, was a New Zealand politician of the Labour Party.
Early life
O'Brien was born in Wellington on 2 December 1924, the son of John Thomas O'Brien, and was ed ...
is charged with molesting two boys, but the case is thrown out. Despite this, he was subsequently deselected as Labour's candidate for and failed to secure re-election as an independent.
*1977 – The
Moyle Affair
Colin James Moyle (born 18 July 1929) is a former politician of the New Zealand Labour Party who served as a Member of Parliament (MP) from 1963 to 1976 and again from 1981 to 1990. He was a Government minister in the Third Labour and Fourth ...
: Muldoon accuses high-ranking Labour Party MP
Colin Moyle
Colin James Moyle (born 18 July 1929) is a former politician of the New Zealand Labour Party who served as a Member of Parliament (MP) from 1963 to 1976 and again from 1981 to 1990. He was a Government minister in the Third Labour and Fourth ...
of having been questioned by the police on suspicion of homosexual activities, at that time illegal in New Zealand. Moyle is forced to resign from parliament.
*1977 – Muldoon advised
Queen Elizabeth II
Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 1926 – 8 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II, her death in 2022. She was queen ...
to appoint Sir
Keith Holyoake
Sir Keith Jacka Holyoake, (; 11 February 1904 – 8 December 1983) was the 26th prime minister of New Zealand, serving for a brief period in 1957 and then from 1960 to 1972, and also the 13th governor-general of New Zealand, serving from 1977 ...
as Governor-General upon Sir
Denis Blundell
Sir Edward Denis Blundell, (29 May 1907 – 24 September 1984) was a New Zealand lawyer, cricketer and diplomat who served as the 12th Governor-General of New Zealand from 1972 to 1977.
Early life and family
Denis Blundell was born in W ...
's term ending. As the Governor-General is a non-partisan position this caused much controversy with Labour leader
Bill Rowling
Sir Wallace Edward Rowling (; 15 November 1927 – 31 October 1995), commonly known as Bill Rowling, was a New Zealand politician who was the 30th prime minister of New Zealand from 1974 to 1975. He held office as the parliamentary leader of t ...
criticizing the appointment as
cronyism
Cronyism is the spoils system practice of partiality in awarding jobs and other advantages to friends or trusted colleagues, especially in politics and between politicians and supportive organizations. For example, cronyism occurs when appointin ...
and complaining that he had not been consulted on the appointment, stating he would remove Holyoake should Labour win the
1978 general election.
1980s
*1980 – The Marginal Loans Affair: Minister of Agriculture
Duncan MacIntyre gave a Marginal Land Boards loan to his daughter and son-in-law for a Wellington property they purchased. A public inquiry later concluded that MacIntyre had not acted willfully improperly, though there were several public resignations of National Party officeholders in MacIntyre's
East Cape
East Cape is the easternmost point of the main islands of New Zealand. It is located at the northern end of the Gisborne District of New Zealand's North Island. It can also refer to the broader Gisborne cape.
East Cape was originally named "C ...
electorate.
*1980 – Former deputy mayor of
Lower Hutt
Lower Hutt ( mi, Te Awa Kairangi ki Tai) is a city in the Wellington Region of New Zealand. Administered by the Hutt City Council, it is one of the four cities that constitute the Wellington metropolitan area.
It is New Zealand's sixth most p ...
,
John Seddon
John Seddon is a British occupational psychologist and author, specialising in change in the service industry. He is the managing director of Vanguard, a consultancy company he formed in 1985 and the inventor of ' The Vanguard Method'. Vangua ...
, applied for the position of Town Clerk of the
Porirua City Council
Porirua, ( mi, Pari-ā-Rua) a list of cities in New Zealand, city in the Wellington Region of the North Island of New Zealand, is one of the four cities that constitute the Wellington#Wellington metropolitan area, Wellington metropolitan area. T ...
. His appointment, shortly before the 1980 local body elections, triggered enormous controversy, with allegations that it had been a "jack up" by the Labour majority on the Porirua City Council and Seddon's friendship with
John Burke. A group of senior Porirua City Council officers jointly signed a letter during the appointment row saying he wasn't the right man for the job as Seddon was not a qualified accountant, the usual prior professional qualification of town clerks at that time, but he had been responsible for managing a company with three times the turnover of the Porirua City Council.
Ombudsman
An ombudsman (, also ,), ombud, ombuds, ombudswoman, ombudsperson or public advocate is an official who is usually appointed by the government or by parliament (usually with a significant degree of independence) to investigate complaints and at ...
Lester Castle
Lester John Castle (13 July 1921 – 26 November 1986) was the Chief Ombudsman of New Zealand from 1984 to 1986. In this role, he was responsible for investigating complaints against central and local government agencies, including Minister ...
was called in to investigate and eventually cleared the appointment process as being sufficiently objective. Following the 1980 elections Labour lost their majority on the council.
*1984 –
Independent MP John Kirk, the son of former Prime Minister
Norman Kirk
Norman Eric Kirk (6 January 1923 – 31 August 1974) was a New Zealand politician who served as the 29th prime minister of New Zealand from 1972 until his sudden death in 1974.
Born into poverty in Southern Canterbury, Kirk left school at ...
, absconds, owing more than $280,000. He is arrested in the US, held in prison, and then extradited to New Zealand.
*1984 – Following the
1984 general election a
constitutional crisis
In political science, a constitutional crisis is a problem or conflict in the function of a government that the political constitution or other fundamental governing law is perceived to be unable to resolve. There are several variations to this d ...
occurred when Muldoon refused to act on instruction of the incoming government, causing a growing currency crisis to worsen. Eventually he relented, after his position as National Party leader was threatened by members of his caucus.
Prior to the
snap election
A snap election is an election that is called earlier than the one that has been scheduled.
Generally, a snap election in a parliamentary system (the dissolution of parliament) is called to capitalize on an unusual electoral opportunity or to ...
, Muldoon had announced its date to journalists while being very clearly drunk.
*1984 – National Cabinet Minister
Keith Allen passed away. Immediately prior to his death Muldoon had refused to accept Allen's resignation from cabinet. Allen found the burdens of holding the office combined with his worsening affliction of diabetes were making his life too stressful. Other National MPs such as
Hugh Templeton
Hugh Campbell Templeton (born 24 March 1929) is a former New Zealand diplomat, politician and member of parliament for the National Party.
Early life and family
Templeton was born in Wyndham, Southland, in 1929. He was educated at Gore Hig ...
and
Don McKinnon
Sir Donald Charles McKinnon (born 27 February 1939) is a New Zealand politician who served as the 12th deputy prime minister of New Zealand and the minister of Foreign Affairs of New Zealand. He was the secretary-general of the Commonwealth of ...
think Muldoon's harsh treatment of Allen contributed significantly to his premature death.
*1986 – The
Māori loan affair The Māori loan affair (or Hawaiian loans affair) of 1986 and 1987 in New Zealand was an unauthorised attempt by the Department of Māori Affairs (today called Te Puni Kōkiri) to raise money overseas for Māori development. The affair was first rai ...
: an unauthorised attempt by the
Department of Māori Affairs
Department may refer to:
* Departmentalization, division of a larger organization into parts with specific responsibility
Government and military
*Department (administrative division), a geographical and administrative division within a country, ...
to raise money overseas for Māori development.
1990s
![Nicky Hager at European Parliament April 2001b](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/9d/Nicky_Hager_at_European_Parliament_April_2001b.jpg)
*1992 – Rebel National MP
Gilbert Myles
Gilbert Colin Myles (born 18 October 1945) is a former New Zealand politician who entered Parliament for the National Party in 1990, then split from the party in 1991 and sat as an independent, before representing the Liberal Party, the Allianc ...
instigated a political scandal in September 1992 when he accused former Labour MP
Fred Gerbic
Frederick Miroslav Gerbic (10 March 1932 – 29 October 1995) was a New Zealand politician of the Labour Party.
Biography Early life and career
Gerbic was born in Kaitaia in 1932. He became an electrical lineman and later married Joy Constan ...
of operating a
graft
Graft or grafting may refer to:
*Graft (politics), a form of political corruption
*Graft, Netherlands, a village in the municipality of Graft-De Rijp
Science and technology
*Graft (surgery), a surgical procedure
*Grafting, the joining of plant ti ...
while he was a minister. Myles, under
Parliamentary privilege
Parliamentary privilege is a legal immunity enjoyed by members of certain legislatures, in which legislators are granted protection against civil or criminal liability for actions done or statements made in the course of their legislative duties. ...
, alleged that Gerbic took financial donations in exchange for residency approvals in his capacity as associate Minister of Immigration and in support tabled a transcript of an alleged tape recorded conversation between two Auckland Labour Party members. In response Gerbic denied the allegations and maintained his innocence throughout. The claims were investigated by
John McGrath QC who, in November 1993, found no evidence of impropriety by Gerbic and dismissed Myles' claims.
*1994 – The
Winebox Inquiry
The Winebox Inquiry was an inquiry undertaken in New Zealand to investigate claims of corruption and incompetence in the Serious Fraud Office (SFO) and Inland Revenue Department (IRD).
The full name of the investigation was the Commission of In ...
investigates alleged corruption and incompetence in both the
Serious Fraud Office and
Inland Revenue Department. The inquiry is instigated after revelations by
New Zealand First
New Zealand First ( mi, Aotearoa Tuatahi), commonly abbreviated to NZ First, is a nationalist and populist political party in New Zealand. The party formed in July 1993 following the resignation on 19 March 1993 of its leader and founder, Winst ...
MP
Winston Peters
Winston Raymond Peters (born 11 April 1945) is a New Zealand politician serving as the leader of New Zealand First since its foundation in 1993. Peters served as the 13th deputy prime minister of New Zealand from 1996 to 1998 and 2017 to 2020 ...
, and named after his habit of keeping the allegation documents in a winebox.
*1995–96 – The "
Antoinette Beck" affair: National/New Zealand First MP
Michael Laws
Michael Laws (born 1957) is a New Zealand politician, broadcaster and writer. Laws was a Member of Parliament for six years, starting in 1990, initially for the National Party. In Parliament he voted against his party on multiple occasions an ...
resigns after being subject to a conflict of interest inquiry over employing a company partly owned by his wife to conduct a poll, signed off by a non-existent "Antoinette Beck".
*1996 – Governor General Sir
Michael Hardie Boys
Sir Michael Hardie Boys, (born 6 October 1931) is a New Zealand retired lawyer, judge, and jurist who served as the 17th Governor-General of New Zealand, in office from 1996 to 2001.
Early life and family
Hardie Boys was born in 1931 in Wel ...
caused much controversy over openly stating his opposition to Minister of Youth Affairs
Deborah Morris
Deborah Morris-Travers (born 9 August 1970) is a former New Zealand politician. She was a list MP for New Zealand First from 1996 to 1998.
Member of Parliament
Morris was an MP from 1996 to 1999, representing the New Zealand First party ...
's suggestion that young people have access to contraceptives.
*1999 –
INCIS
INCIS was the name of the Integrated National Crime Information System designed to provide information to the New Zealand Police in the 1990s, but which was abandoned in 1999. Although the project was abandoned parts of its hardware and software ...
: The Integrated National Crime Information System, a computer network intended to be used in coordination of police resources, reported to have massive cost over-runs and operational problems.
*1999 – New Zealand First MP
Tuariki John Delamere is forced to resign as
Minister of Immigration after it emerged that he had approved permanent residency for a group of Chinese businessmen provided they invested generously in various Māori development schemes.
2000s
*2000 –
Dover Samuels
Dover Spencer Peneha Samuels (born 9 July 1939) is a former Labour Member of Parliament in New Zealand from 1996 to 2008 inclusive.
Biography Political career
Samuels joined the Labour Party and became its Māori Senior Vice President. In ...
resigned as
Minister of Maori Affairs
Minister may refer to:
* Minister (Christianity), a Christian cleric
** Minister (Catholic Church)
* Minister (government), a member of government who heads a ministry (government department)
** Minister without portfolio, a member of governme ...
pending an investigation into alleged
sex crime
Sex and the law deals with the regulation by law of human sexual activity. Sex laws vary from one place or jurisdiction to another, and have varied over time. Unlawful sexual acts are called sex crimes.
Some laws regarding sexual activity are ...
s he had committed before he entered politics.
*2001 – Sir Michael Hardie Boys created a further controversy after making an implied critique of the
Clark Labour Government's plan to scrap the air defence wing of the
Royal New Zealand Air Force
The Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF) ( mi, Te Tauaarangi o Aotearoa, "The Warriors of the Sky of New Zealand"; previously ', "War Party of the Blue") is the aerial service branch of the New Zealand Defence Force. It was formed from New Zeala ...
.
*2002 –
Corngate
''Seeds of Distrust: The Story of a GE Cover-up'' was a study of government processes and decision making under New Zealand's Labour-led government written by Nicky Hager. The setting was an incident in November 2000, during the Royal Commission ...
: an investigation into the alleged release of
genetically modified corn, exacerbated by an
ambush interview
The term "journalism genres" refers to various journalism styles, fields or separate genres, in writing accounts of events.
Newspapers and periodicals often contain features (see Feature style) written by journalists, many of whom specialize in ...
with Prime Minister
Helen Clark
Helen Elizabeth Clark (born 26 February 1950) is a New Zealand politician who served as the 37th prime minister of New Zealand from 1999 to 2008, and was the administrator of the United Nations Development Programme from 2009 to 2017. She was ...
by broadcaster
John Campbell.
*2005 –
**June:
Graham Capill
Graham John Capill (born 1959) is a former New Zealand Christian leader, politician and convicted rapist.
He served as the first leader of the now-defunct Christian Heritage Party, stepping down in 2003. In 2005 he was convicted of multiple s ...
, former leader of the
Christian Heritage Party is convicted on paedophilia-related charges and serves six years in prison. Christian Heritage disbands the following year in the wake of the scandal.
**August: Former
ACT Party
ACT New Zealand, known simply as ACT (), is a Right-wing politics, right-wing, Classical liberalism, classical-liberal List of political parties in New Zealand, political party in New Zealand. According to former party leader Rodney Hide, ACT's ...
MP
Donna Awatere Huata
Donna Lynn Awatere Huata (sometimes written Awatere-Huata, previously known as Donna Awatere; born 1949) is a former member of the New Zealand Parliament for the ACT New Zealand Party and activist for Māori causes.
Early life
Donna Awatere wa ...
is convicted on fraud charges involving a trust set up to help underprivileged Maori children.
**November:
Election funding controversy: during the
2005 New Zealand general election
5 (five) is a number, numeral and digit. It is the natural number, and cardinal number, following 4 and preceding 6, and is a prime number. It has attained significance throughout history in part because typical humans have five digits on eac ...
there were widespread allegations of overspending of political electioneering budgets against most major parties, as well as an anonymous hate campaign against the Labour and
Green Party
A green party is a formally organized political party based on the principles of green politics, such as social justice, environmentalism and nonviolence.
Greens believe that these issues are inherently related to one another as a foundation ...
by a religious sect, the
Exclusive Brethren
The Exclusive Brethren are a subset of the Christian evangelical movement generally described as the Plymouth Brethren. They are distinguished from the Open Brethren from whom they separated in 1848.
The Exclusive Brethren are now divided int ...
.
*2006 – ''
The Hollow Men
"The Hollow Men" (1925) is a poem by the modernist writer T. S. Eliot. Like much of his work, its themes are overlapping and fragmentary, concerned with post–World War I Europe under the Treaty of Versailles (which Eliot despised: compare "Ge ...
'', a book by investigative reporter
Nicky Hager
Nicky Hager (born 1958) is a New Zealand investigative journalist. He has produced seven books since 1996, covering topics such as intelligence networks, environmental issues and politics. He is one of two New Zealand members of the Internationa ...
, reports tactics allegedly used by the National Party in the previous year's elections, much of the information provided from leaked documents.
*2007 –
New Zealand Labour Party
The New Zealand Labour Party ( mi, Rōpū Reipa o Aotearoa), or simply Labour (), is a centre-left political party in New Zealand. The party's platform programme describes its founding principle as democratic socialism, while observers descr ...
(later
New Zealand Pacific Party
The New Zealand Pacific Party was a Christianity, Christian political party that existed in New Zealand from 2008 to 2010. The party was founded as a vehicle for former New Zealand Labour Party, Labour MP Taito Phillip Field, who was subsequentl ...
) MP
Taito Philip Field
Taito Phillip Hans Field (26 September 1952 – 23 September 2021) was a Samoans, Samoan-born New Zealand trade unionist and politician. A New Zealand House of Representatives, Member of Parliament (MP) for South Auckland electorates from 1993 ...
is arrested on corruption and bribery charges. He eventually serves two years in prison.
*2009 – National Cabinet Minister
Richard Worth
Richard Westwood Worth (3 July 1948 – 10 May 2022) was a New Zealand politician of the New Zealand National Party. He was the Member of Parliament for Epsom from 1999 to 2005 and a list MP from 2005 to 2009.
Prior to entering Parliament, W ...
resigned after allegations of
sexual harassment
Sexual harassment is a type of harassment involving the use of explicit or implicit sexual overtones, including the unwelcome and inappropriate promises of rewards in exchange for sexual favors. Sexual harassment includes a range of actions fro ...
on his behalf became public. No charges are laid by police.
*2009 – Minister for Social Development and Employment
Paula Bennett
Paula Lee Bennett (born 9 April 1969) is a New Zealand former politician who served as the 18th deputy prime minister of New Zealand between December 2016 and October 2017. She served as the deputy leader of the National Party from 2016 to 202 ...
releases the benefit details of two beneficiaries who had criticised the Government's policy of getting rid of the Training Initiative Allowance (TIA), leading to complaints about breaches of privacy which end up being taken to the
Privacy Commissioner.
*Since late 2000s –
Leaky homes crisis
The leaky homes crisis is an ongoing construction and legal crisis in New Zealand concerning timber-framed homes built from 1988 to 2004 that were not fully weather-tight. The problems often include the decay of timber framing which, in extreme ...
: changes to building regulations and practices in the 1990s result in a large number of newer houses being severely susceptible to leaks and mould. Government prevarication on financial recompense leads to major public outrage.
2010s
![John Banks](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/1c/John_Banks.jpg)
*2010 –
**April: The Government sacks the 14 elected members of
Environment Canterbury
Environment Canterbury, frequently abbreviated to ECan. is the promotional name for the Canterbury Regional Council. It is the regional council for Canterbury, the largest region in the South Island of New Zealand. It is part of New Zealand's s ...
(Canterbury Regional Council), replacing them with seven appointed commissioners.
**September: ACT Party Member
David Garrett
David Christian Bongartz (born 4 September 1980), known by his stage name David Garrett, is a German classical and crossover violinist and recording artist.
Early life
When Garrett was four years old his father purchased a violin for his ol ...
, the primary party advocate on tougher sentences and ending name suppression in ongoing court cases, admits stealing the identity of a dead infant for the purpose of obtaining a passport 26 years prior. Garrett subsequently resigns.
**October:
Supreme Court Justice
The Supreme Court of the United States is the highest-ranking judicial body in the United States. Its membership, as set by the Judiciary Act of 1869, consists of the chief justice of the United States and eight Associate Justice of the Supreme ...
Bill Wilson is forced to stand down after being accused of judicial misconduct.
*2011 –
**March -
Investigation of sexual assault allegations Made against
Darren Hughes
Darren Colyn Hughes (born 3 April 1978) is a New Zealand former Member of Parliament between 2002 and 2011, first elected at the age of 24. He represented the New Zealand Labour Party, Labour Party and was a Minister outside Cabinet in the Fift ...
. Then Labour Party leader
Phil Goff
Philip Bruce Goff (born 22 June 1953) is a New Zealand politician. He was a member of the New Zealand Parliament from 1981 to 1990 and again from 1993 to 2016. He served as leader of the Labour Party and leader of the Opposition between 11 No ...
had known of allegations for two weeks before they became public. Hughes resigned, and police later determined there was insufficient evidence to launch a prosecution.
**November -
Tea tape scandal
The Tea tape scandal is an incident involving the New Zealand Prime Minister John Key and ACT Party candidate John Banks, during the New Zealand general election campaign in 2011. Their meeting in an Auckland café on 11 November 2011, two wee ...
: A meeting between Prime Minister
John Key
Sir John Phillip Key (born 9 August 1961) is a New Zealand retired politician who served as the 38th prime minister of New Zealand, Prime Minister of New Zealand from 2008 to 2016 and as Leader of the New Zealand National Party from 2006 to ...
and ACT Party leader
John Banks John Banks or Bankes may refer to:
Politics and law
*Sir John Banks, 1st Baronet (1627–1699), English merchant and Member of Parliament
* John Banks (American politician) (1793–1864), U.S. Representative from Pennsylvania
*John Gray Banks (188 ...
is recorded by a news journalist. The freedom of the press and the privacy of ostensibly public discussions (the meeting took place in a public area) are widely debated in a case which involves both police and lawyers. Key later settled a defamation claim brought by the journalist involved.
*2013 –
**Major problems with payroll system
Novopay
Novopay is a web-based payroll system for state and state integrated schools in New Zealand, processing the pay of 110,000 teaching and support staff at 2,457 schools. It was purchased by the New Zealand Ministry of Education for $182 million ove ...
, used primarily by the
New Zealand Department of Education
The New Zealand Department of Education was, prior to 1989, the public service department of the New Zealand Government that was responsible for pre-tertiary education.
The Department was established in its initial form in 1877 under the Educati ...
to pay teachers' salaries, causes many teachers to be underpaid, overpaid, or not paid at all for several months. Several other government departments are also affected. It is revealed that the system was approved by the government despite serious technical design flaws revealed during its testing period.
**June -
United Future
United Future New Zealand, usually known as United Future, was a centrist political party in New Zealand. The party was in government between 2005 and 2017, first alongside Labour (2005–2008) and then supporting National (2008–2017).
Uni ...
leader
Peter Dunne
Peter Francis Dunne (born 17 March 1954) is a retired New Zealand politician who was the Member of Parliament (MP) for Ōhāriu. He held the seat and its predecessors from 1984 to 2017—representing the Labour Party in Parliament from 1984 ...
resigns as a minister following a leak enquiry over the release of a report about the
GCSB
The Government Communications Security Bureau (GCSB) ( mi, Te Tira Tiaki) is the public-service department of New Zealand charged with promoting New Zealand's national security by collecting and analysing information of an intelligence nature. ...
. The Inquiry is later subject to the Privileges Committee Inquiry over its methods as the person heading the Inquiry had obtained journalist's records from the Parliamentary Service.
*2014 –
**June: ACT Party leader
John Banks John Banks or Bankes may refer to:
Politics and law
*Sir John Banks, 1st Baronet (1627–1699), English merchant and Member of Parliament
* John Banks (American politician) (1793–1864), U.S. Representative from Pennsylvania
*John Gray Banks (188 ...
is convicted of filing a false electoral return in 2010, recording donations known to come from
SkyCity Auckland
Skycity Auckland is an entertainment complex and casino in the central business district of Auckland, New Zealand, between Victoria and Federal Streets. Located at the base of the Sky Tower, it was the second casino in New Zealand, and is the on ...
and
Kim Dotcom
Kim Dotcom (born Kim Schmitz; 21 January 1974), also known as Kimble and Kim Tim Jim Vestor, is a German-Finnish Internet entrepreneur and political activist who resides in Glenorchy, New Zealand.
He first rose to fame in Germany in the 1990s ...
as anonymous. The conviction is overturned on appeal in 2015.
**August: National Party cabinet minister
Judith Collins
Judith Anne Collins (born 24 February 1959) is a New Zealand politician who served as the Leader of the Opposition and Leader of the New Zealand National Party from 14 July 2020 to 25 November 2021. She was the second female Leader of the Natio ...
is forced to resign her portfolios after being involved in a string of scandals. Early in the year she is accused of a conflict of interest after an overseas trip where she appeared to be promoting milk products produced by Oravida – a New Zealand company of which her husband is a director. Later in the year, claims emerge in
Nicky Hager
Nicky Hager (born 1958) is a New Zealand investigative journalist. He has produced seven books since 1996, covering topics such as intelligence networks, environmental issues and politics. He is one of two New Zealand members of the Internationa ...
's book ''
Dirty Politics
''Dirty Politics: How attack politics is poisoning New Zealand’s political environment'' is a book by Nicky Hager published in August 2014.
The book is based on emails hacked from Cameron Slater's Gmail account and on Facebook chats. These co ...
'' that Collins had passed on private information about public servants to right-wing attack-blogger
Cameron Slater
Cameron Slater is a right-wing New Zealand-based blogger, best known for his role in ''Dirty Politics'' and publishing the ''Whale Oil Beef Hooked'' blog, which operated from 2005 until it closed in 2019. He edited the tabloid newspaper ''New Ze ...
. New Zealand First leader Winston Peters also claims in the same month that Collins had approached him to do a post-2014 election deal with National with Collins as leader.
**September: The National Party
used a song similar to a hit by US rapper
Eminem
Marshall Bruce Mathers III (born October 17, 1972), known professionally as Eminem (; often stylized as EMINƎM), is an American rapper and record producer. He is credited with popularizing hip hop in middle America and is critically acclai ...
in a campaign ad during
that year's election. The song's publishers filed a lawsuit against National for copyright violation stating they did not give consent for the song to be used in a political ad, a claim which National denies.
*2015 –
**January: National Party MP
Mike Sabin
Michael Lewis Sabin (born 24 September 1968) is a former police officer, drug educator and New Zealand politician. He is a member of the New Zealand National Party, National Party and was a member of the New Zealand House of Representatives, Ho ...
resigns from parliament "due to personal issues that were best dealt with outside Parliament" one month after it is revealed that he is under investigation by police for assault.
**May: National cabinet minister
Murray McCully
Murray Stuart McCully (born 19 February 1953) is a former New Zealand politician. He is a member of the National Party, and served as Minister of Foreign Affairs from 2008 to 2017.
Early life
Born in Whangārei, McCully was educated at Arap ...
is involved in the controversial setting up of a sheep farm in Saudi Arabia in partnership with Saudi businessman
Hamood Al-Ali Al-Khalaf, seemingly to negate the risk of Al-Khalaf suing the New Zealand government.
**September:
Conservative Party
The Conservative Party is a name used by many political parties around the world. These political parties are generally right-wing though their exact ideologies can range from center-right to far-right.
Political parties called The Conservative P ...
leader
Colin Craig
Colin Craig (born 8 January 1968) is a New Zealand businessman and perennial candidate who was the founding leader of the Conservative Party of New Zealand.
Craig is a millionaire who owns companies that manage high-rise buildings. His current ...
resigns as party leader amid allegations of sexual harassment of his former secretary. In the messy leadership dispute which follows, Craig is suspended by the party.
*2016 – Colin Craig (see above) cited in court during defamation case taken against him relating to sexual harassment allegations.
![Jami-Lee Ross Portrait](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/21/Jami-Lee_Ross_Portrait.jpg)
*2017 –
**June: National MP
Todd Barclay
Todd Keith Barclay (born 8 June 1990) is a former New Zealand politician of the National Party. He was elected Member of Parliament (MP) for Clutha-Southland at the 2014 general election. In 2017, Barclay resigned from parliament in disgrace a ...
is accused of making a clandestine recording of Glenys Dickson, one of his staff, and offering her a hush payment from former Prime Minister
John Key
Sir John Phillip Key (born 9 August 1961) is a New Zealand retired politician who served as the 38th prime minister of New Zealand, Prime Minister of New Zealand from 2008 to 2016 and as Leader of the New Zealand National Party from 2006 to ...
's leader's budget. Upon the incident becoming public, Barclay chose to retire from Parliament.
**July:
Green Party
A green party is a formally organized political party based on the principles of green politics, such as social justice, environmentalism and nonviolence.
Greens believe that these issues are inherently related to one another as a foundation ...
co-leader
Metiria Turei
Metiria Leanne Agnes Stanton Turei (born 1970) is a New Zealand academic and a former New Zealand politician. She was a Member of Parliament from 2002 to 2017 and the female co-leader of the Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand from 2009 to 2017 ...
reveals that she had at one time committed
benefit fraud
Benefit fraud is a form of welfare fraud as found within the system of government benefits paid to individuals by the welfare state in the United Kingdom.
Definition of benefit fraud
The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) define benefit fr ...
during the 1990s.
*2018 –
**August: Minister of Broadcasting, Communications, and Digital Media
Clare Curran
Clare Elizabeth Curran (born 1960) is a New Zealand former politician who served as a member of the New Zealand Parliament for Dunedin South from 2008 to 2020. She was the Minister of Broadcasting, Communications, and Digital Media and Associate ...
is dismissed from cabinet after a series of incidents involving secret meetings between herself and Radio New Zealand broadcaster and senior manager
Carol Hirschfeld
Carol Ann Hirschfeld (born 1962) is a New Zealand journalist, documentary maker, broadcaster, producer and media executive. She is best known for her role as a TV3 News presenter alongside John Campbell from 1998 until 2005. As a broadcast media ...
and tech entrepreneur
Derek Handley
Derek Handley (born 1978) is a New Zealand entrepreneur, speaker, and author who was born in Hong Kong. With his brother Geoffrey Handley, he co-founded the global mobile marketing and media company The Hyperfactoryand the mobile advertising ...
. She resigned as a minister the following month.
**October: After a two-month investigation into leaks of information relating to the expenses of National Party leader
Simon Bridges
Simon Joseph Bridges (born 12 October 1976) is a former New Zealand politician and lawyer. He served as Leader of the National Party and Leader of the Opposition between 2018 and 2020, and as the Member of Parliament for Tauranga from the to ...
, Bridges announced that former Minister of Customs
Jami-Lee Ross
Jami-Lee Matenga Ross (born 1985) is a New Zealand former politician who was the Member of Parliament (MP) for the Botany electorate in Auckland from the March 2011 Botany by-election, when he became the youngest MP at the time, until 2020. He ...
was the source of the leaks. The following day Ross alleged during a live press conference that Bridges was a corrupt politician who had violated electoral law several times, including accepting an illegal NZ$100,000 donation from Chinese businessman
Zhang Yikun Zhang may refer to:
Chinese culture, etc.
* Zhang (surname) (張/张), common Chinese surname
** Zhang (surname 章), a rarer Chinese surname
* Zhang County (漳县), of Dingxi, Gansu
* Zhang River (漳河), a river flowing mainly in Henan
* Zhang ...
. The National Party caucus voted to expel Ross for disloyalty. Ross released an audio recording between himself and Bridges on Facebook. Notably, it included Bridges describing National List MP
Maureen Pugh
Maureen Helena Pugh (born 1958) is a New Zealand politician who is a Member of Parliament for the National Party. She has twice appeared to have won a list seat based on preliminary results, then missed out on a seat when the final results cam ...
as "fucking useless". On 18 October, a news report was released, with four women accusing Ross of incoherent rages, sexual harassment, and bullying behaviour.
* 2019 – A high-up Labour Party staffer is accused of sexually assaulting a 19-year-old party volunteer; Labour Party President
Nigel Haworth
Nigel Anthony Fell Haworth (born 1951) is a New Zealand economics academic and politician. He was elected President of the New Zealand Labour Party in February 2015, succeeding Moira Coatsworth.
Education and academic career
Born in Wales in ...
resigns amidst this scandal.
2020s
*2020 –
**January: The Serious Fraud Office filed criminal charges against four people in relation to an alleged NZ$100,000 donation paid into a National Party electorate bank account. Simon Bridges stated neither he nor anyone from National Party are among those who have been charged in relation to the donation allegations. The Serious Fraud Office launched an investigation on 12 March 2019, after police referred on a complaint made by Jami-Lee Ross (see above: October 2018).
:*July: Minister of Health
David Clark is demoted and then resigns as a Minister following repeated alleged breaches of
COVID-19
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by a virus, the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The first known case was COVID-19 pandemic in Hubei, identified in Wuhan, China, in December ...
lockdown guidelines.
:*July: National Party MP
Hamish Walker
Hamish Richard Walker (born 1985) is a New Zealand former politician and former Member of Parliament in the House of Representatives for the National Party.
Political career
At the 2014 general election, Walker stood in , placing second in th ...
admits to leaking confidential
COVID-19
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by a virus, the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The first known case was COVID-19 pandemic in Hubei, identified in Wuhan, China, in December ...
patient information to the press. The information had come to him via former National Party President
Michelle Boag
Michelle Ann Boag (born 10 December 1954) is a New Zealand public relations practitioner and former National Party president.
Biography
She was educated at Auckland Girls' Grammar School and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in political scie ...
, who had received it while acting chief executive of the Auckland Rescue Helicopter trust.
:*July: National Party MP
Andrew Falloon
Andrew Hamilton Falloon (born 29 August 1983) is a former New Zealand politician, serving as a Member of Parliament in the House of Representatives for the National Party from 2017 until his resignation in July 2020.
Early life
Falloon was bor ...
quit politics after sending an indecent image to a young woman. NZ Police subsequently reopened their investigation into Falloon after a number of other women came forward with complaints.
*2022 -
**August:
***New National MP
Sam Uffindell
Samuel Julian Uffindell (born September 1983) is a New Zealand politician and former international banking executive. He has been a Member of Parliament for , representing the National Party, since winning a by-election in June 2022. He is bes ...
had historic bullying events as a 16-year-old, which led to his expulsion from
King's College, made public. Having offered the victim an apology in 2021 he stood for parliament at the
2022 Tauranga by-election
The 2022 Tauranga by-election for the New Zealand House of Representatives was held on 18 June 2022 in the Tauranga (New Zealand electorate), Tauranga electorate, after the sitting member, former New Zealand National Party, National Party leader ...
nine months later and declared the event to the National Party selection committee, however it was not mentioned to voters. Soon after another bullying allegation was made against Uffindell by a former flatmate. He was stood down from the National caucus pending an investigation. The investigation, conducted by Maria Dew
KC, found that the allegations could not be substantiated and Uffindell was reinstated into the caucus. National's party president,
Sylvia Wood
Sylvia Wood is a New Zealand businesswoman, currently serving as President of the New Zealand National Party. She succeeded Peter Goodfellow.
Wood was raised in the South Island. She owns and runs an human resources consultancy. Wood also work ...
, said the investigation would not be released for privacy reasons, but Uffindell's former flatmate who had accused him of bullying and her father said they would agree to a redacted version of the report being publicly released.
***Labour MP
Gaurav Sharma made several public accusations of bullying in parliament by his own party, their
whips
A whip is a tool or weapon designed to strike humans or other animals to exert control through pain compliance or fear of pain. They can also be used without inflicting pain, for audiovisual cues, such as in equestrianism. They are generally e ...
and Parliamentary Services revolving around employment issues in his office with staff turnover. Little evidence was provided and his accusations were disputed by Labour and Parliamentary Services. Counterclaims were made by former staffers of Sharma alleging he was bullying them though he stated their contracts were not renewed due to poor performance. For bringing the party into public disrepute Sharma was suspended and later expelled from the Labour caucus.
See also
*
List of Australian political controversies
This is a list of major political controversies in Australia:
Pre-federation
Federal controversies Barton government
Deakin government
Hughes government
Bruce–Page government
Scullin government
Lyons government
Menzies government ...
Notes
References
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Political Scandals in New Zealand
Political
New Zealand
New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...
Scandals
A scandal can be broadly defined as the strong social reactions of outrage, anger, or surprise, when accusations or rumours circulate or appear for some reason, regarding a person or persons who are perceived to have transgressed in some way. Th ...