New Zealand politician resigns after revealing past fraud

Turei made the confession as part of an attempt to energize debate about the difficulties of living on welfare, at the same time pledging to raise benefits by 20 per cent.

A Newshub-Reid Research poll Wednesday indicated support for the Green Party had dropped from 13 per cent to 8 per cent over the past two weeks while support for Ardern’s Labour Party had leaped from 24 per cent to 33 per cent.

Support for the governing National Party edged down a little to 44 per cent, according to the poll. Under New Zealand’s proportional voting system, parties must typically form alliances to govern.

At the Green Party’s annual meeting last month, Turei, 47, said that when she was a law student, she didn’t have enough money to pay her bills while raising her daughter. She said she lied to authorities about how many roommates she lived with, because the truth would have lowered her accommodation entitlement.

Many political commentators at first described her confession as a bold and effective move. But as reporters and rivals scrutinized her claims, Turei admitted she’d also falsified her voting address and at one point lived with her mother as a roommate.

Earlier this week, two Green Party lawmakers said they wouldn’t seek re-election because Turei had not resigned. Turei said as late as Wednesday morning she had no plans to resign, but then changed her mind and will leave Parliament. She had been a lawmaker for 15 years.

“I am confident that if I step aside from the co-leadership, that the Green Party will have the best possible chance of improving our vote and being part of the next government,” she said.

Nick Perry, The Associated Press

by Canadian Press

New Zealand politician resigns after revealing past fraud

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