Police and new Justice Minister Ginny Andersen has described the "calm" phone conversation between herself and Chris Hipkins after a crash involving East Coast MP Kiri Allan.
The phone call happened on Sunday night after Allan, the now-former Justice Minister, was involved in a crash in Wellington and subsequently charged with careless use of a motor vehicle and refusing to accompany a police officer.
Speaking to Newshub Nation, Andersen - who was informed of the crash by Police Commissioner Andrew Coster - said it was "a real shock" after hearing the news.
"My first response when I received that phone call was to make contact with the Prime Minister," she said.
Andersen also said the conversation with PM Hipkins was "calm" but his "number one concern" was Allan's wellbeing.
"We went into action to make sure her wellbeing was first and foremost."
Few other details about the crash have emerged since it happened, but Hipkins has said Allan was experiencing extreme emotional distress.
"It appears that some of her personal struggles came to a head yesterday and were contributing factors in this incident," he told reporters on Monday.
The collision happened on Wellington's Evans Bay Pde at about 9pm Sunday, during which Allan crashed her ministerial car into a parked ute.
Hipkins initially said he received conflicting reports about the circumstances of the crash.
"The problem is, I couldn't speak to her directly last night but there was some suggestion that she may have said that she wasn't driving," he said on Monday.
"Now, of course, I couldn't verify any of that because I couldn't speak to her."
It's now known, however, Allan was behind the wheel and had in fact been drinking alcohol. Her excess breath alcohol, however, was only at an infringement level (below 400mcg).
But a mystery remains about the charge of refusing to accompany a police officer. On Thursday, The Post reported Allan was found 500m from the crash scene.
Police also confirmed a dog unit was used but it's understood it wasn't to find the now-former minister. Rather, to link her back to the crashed car as evidence.
Hipkins has refused to comment any further but was asked later in the week whether he'd have Allan back in any future Cabinet of his.
"Where there are other issues involved [than mental health] - including potential criminal offending - that has a bearing too," the Prime Minister said.
Allan released a statement soon after the crash announcing she was leaving politics, apologising to Hipkins and telling her colleagues and constituents she was angry with herself for letting them down.
The East Coast MP, however, has found much support amongst her colleagues and constituents within her electorate.
"I know Kiri personally and I've had real concerns about her wellbeing," Andersen told Newshub Nation host Rebecca Wright.
Before the crash, it had only been just more than a week since Hipkins announced Allan would return to work and resume her full duties after accusations surfaced about mistreatment of staff in her office. Allan had previously rejected the allegations, saying no formal complaints had been made.
The accusations came to light while Allan was on a week of leave for mental health reasons.
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