Pornographic Text Claim Deals Blow to New Zealand Opposition
Pornographic Text Claim Deals Blow to New Zealand Opposition
(Bloomberg) -- New Zealand’s main opposition party has been rocked by allegations that one of its parliamentarians texted a pornographic image to a young woman.
Andrew Falloon resigned from parliament Tuesday in Wellington after National Party leader Judith Collins asked him to do so. While she had not seen the image, she understood it was of a female and “entirely inappropriate and a disgrace,” Collins told Radio New Zealand.
In a statement, Falloon said he was dealing with the recent suicide of a friend. “I have made a number of mistakes and I apologize to those who have been affected,” he said, without addressing the specific allegations.
The incident is yet another blow to National ahead of the Sept. 19 general election, undermining its claim to be a more competent team than the current government. The party, which has changed leaders twice in two months, faces an uphill battle to dethrone Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, whose popularity has soared amid her handling of the coronavirus pandemic.
Ardern’s Labour Party was on 50% in a 1News/Colmar Brunton poll published last month, while National was on 38%.
Collins took the reins of the party last week when previous leader Todd Muller unexpectedly resigned after 53 days in the role. Muller’s short tenure included a series of missteps, including a leak by a National politician of confidential Covid-19 patient details.
Falloon represented a rural electorate in New Zealand’s South Island, traditionally a stronghold for the conservative party. A complaint about his alleged behavior was made last week to Ardern’s office, which passed the information on to Collins.
Local media reported Tuesday that at least two further women have come forward with similar allegations against Falloon, and that Collins has referred them to police.
Police said they had investigated a complaint in relation to the sending of an unsolicited image at the beginning of July but found it did not meet the threshold for prosecution.
“We have today been made aware of further allegations raised by the leader of the National Party and we are now seeking more information in relation to these matters,” police said in a statement.
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