One term Rangitata MP Andrew Falloon has quit politics, with the National Party saying he is dealing with “significant mental health issues”.
Falloon says he will not run in September’s election, citing concern for his “own health and well being”.
He’s the third MP to quit after Judith Collins was appointed leader last week.
In a statement Falloon touched on the deaths of friends when he was younger.
“As I noted in my maiden speech three years ago, when I was younger I lost three close friends to suicide.
It was an extremely difficult period in my life. Unfortunately, recently, another friend took their own life, which has brought back much unresolved grief.
“I have made a number of mistakes and I apologise to those who have been affected.
“Recent events have compounded that situation and reminded me of the need to maintain my own health and well being. I have again been receiving counselling.”
This is a really sad situation. Being an MP is a terrible job, with ridiculously long hours, regular public abuse and repeated isolation from friends and family.
Having said that, I note that one of the lines of attack used by the NZ National Party’s dirty politics brigade was to destroy MPs’ mental health. Clare Curren was probably the most prominent victim of that nasty, brutish approach. However, recent events suggest that the Tories are happy to torture their own as well.
All the best to Andrew Falloon. I hope he finds nothing but kindness, positivity and practical support in the future.
UPDATE: NewsHub are reporting that PM Jacinda Ardern received correspondence outlining the incident involving Andrew Falloon late last week. Consistent with her regular calls for kindness, Adern kept the correspondence confidential, and privately alerted National’s leader Judith Collins that there was an issue.
UPDATE: It was reported earlier this evening that Falloon’s behaviour involved sending pornographic pictures to “a woman not his wife”. NewsHub are now saying that Falloon sent the pictures to a schoolgirl, which may bring the earlier suggestion that he had done nothing criminal into question.
UPDATE: It is now reported that the young woman was a uni student in her late teens, and her age means no criminal act was committed. It is also reported that Falloon claimed that friends took his phone and sent the pic without his knowledge. And that this happened weeks ago, which raise the possibility that Simon Bridges and/or Todd Muller knew about it.
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