Kiri Allan was a rising star in Labour and was earlier this year briefly tipped as a leadership contender.
Her local constituents on the East Coast are gutted by the developments, as are most of her colleagues.
At home in Whakatane, there's a lot of kindness for Allan.
"I feel for her. She's obviously struggling," said one person.
"We wish her the best and hopefully she can sort things out," said another.
"She's actually quite a good person, from what I've seen," a third added.
The 39-year-old commercial lawyer became an MP in 2017. She quickly became one of Labour's rising stars.
Allan quickly earnt a ministerial warrant, then a seat at the Cabinet table in 2020, and then Kiwis' respect for being a calm voice during the tsunami scare.
"This has been an extraordinary morning," she said at the time.
It was later revealed she'd also been diagnosed with stage 3 cervical cancer that morning.
"If only people knew about what else she was dealing with, it was remarkable. But she is remarkable," former Prime Minister Dame Jacinda Ardern previously said.
Allan then fought the fight of her life.
"As a wāhine Māori, I have about a 13.3 percent chance of survival," Allan told The Hui.
She fought for three months and won.
Allan kept rising the ranks, picking up Justice in June last year.
But this year it took a turn.
In March, Kiri Allan was cautioned for giving a controversial speech at an RNZ farewell event for her then-fiance Mani Dunlop. She was accused in June of poor working relationships with her staff.
Her personal relationship ended and the weight of it all took its toll.
Allan was open about her mental health and took a break from work.
"Kiri has been receiving counselling. She's been receiving professional support, we made sure that was the case. I made sure that was the case," Prime Minister Chris Hipkins said.
Education Minister Jan Tinetti said on Monday morning that she caught up with Allan last week.
"She was good, she was really good, but that just shows how mental health is unpredictable."
Her shell-shocked colleagues were still processing events.
"Shit happens," said Agriculture Minister Damien O'Connor.
Most were just concerned for Allan.
"It's clearly unacceptable behaviour but more concerned about Kiri at this time, she's my friend as well as my colleague," said Tinetti.
"I hope that we as a nation have some empathy to some of the issues we contend with in these roles," said Te Pāti Māori co-leader Debbie Ngarewa-Packer.
That empathy rippling through most of Allan's electorate.
"Like anybody, you can break, but what she did was a bit rough," said one person.
"She's made a mess of the whole carry on really," said a second.
"We all have problems in our life and we don't drink and drive and when you hold a position like that and do that sort of shit, that's just not on mate," said a third.
"I just send her lots of love really, and recovery, get well," another added.
Surely everyone can wish Allan that.
