Labour's Kiri Allan has resigned as a minister after being arrested for careless driving when she crashed into a parked car in Wellington on Sunday night.
The now-former Justice minister was also charged with refusing to accompany a police officer and dealt an infringement for breath alcohol over the legal limit.
Her sudden departure has left her party fighting for political survival and public confidence mere weeks from the beginning of the election campaign.
A crunched-up ute with busted tyres, evidence of the moment that ended Allan's ministerial career.
At around 9pm on Sunday night, she allegedly drove her ministerial-issued car under the influence, crashing into the vehicle and colliding with the consequences.
"Retaining her ministerial warrant was untenable," said Prime Minister Chris Hipkins. "Especially for a Justice Minister to be charged with criminal offending."
The Prime Minister got the dreaded call an hour after the crash.
"While her actions were inexcusable, I was given information that she was experiencing extreme emotional distress at the time of the incident. My initial concerns last night were for her immediate safety and wellbeing."
The details were initially fuzzy.
"I couldn't speak to her directly last night but there was some suggestion she may have said she wasn't driving," said Hipkins.
Daybreak, clear light, clear facts, she had to go.
Allan offered her resignation in a message to the Prime Minister just before an early morning phone call.
"It was a difficult conversation. She's clearly not in a good space," said Hipkins.
Allan has been openly struggling with her mental health and it all came to a head on Sunday.
"Obviously, I'm very sad for Kiri," said Hipkins. "Kiri is an incredibly talented person who has clearly been battling some demons and has not won that battle."
National leader Christopher Luxon said she shouldn't have been at work.
"Personally, I would have wanted some reassurance from a clinician or from someone that actually the individual would be good to come back to work."
Hipkins said he didn't believe mental health should "disqualify someone from employment".
Allan released a statement saying after taking mental health leave she believed she was okay to juggle those challenges with the pressure of being a minister.
"My actions yesterday show I wasn’t okay, and I’ve let myself and my colleagues down. I’m very sorry for my actions, the harm they could have caused and the embarrassment it has placed on the Government and my colleagues."
Hipkins said Allan's performance in the House and at a press conference last week showed "signs she had gotten on top of things".
"It's a terrible set of circumstances."
A terrible set of personal circumstances that has left Hipkins with a dreadful political circumstance of his own - losing another minister six weeks out from the election campaign.
"That really hasn't been part of my thinking at all in the last few hours," he said.
The ministerial house of cards has been tumbling all year.
Former Prime Minister Dame Jacinda Ardern was first to fold, resigning in January.
Hipkins barely had a month at the helm before more started to crumble. Stuart Nash was sacked come March following breaches of the Cabinet Manual, Meka Whaitiri dealt a body blow defecting to Te Pāti Māori in May, and Michael Wood fell in June over his shares scandal. Now there is Allan.
Asked if he has the confidence of the public, Hipkins said: "They elected us."
But again, Hipkins is having to shuffle the Cabinet deck chairs.
Ginny Andersen will be the new Justice Minister, while Kieran McAnulty, man of the regions, will take on Regional Development.
Barbara Edmonds picks up associate Finance, as well as Revenue, which has been relinquished by David Parker a week after the Prime Minister killed his wealth tax.
Hipkins said he still believed Labour could win the election.
Asked how he could show the public that he has it together, Hipkins said: "Just watch me."
Everybody is watching.
