After a tumultuous week for the Labour Party, Newshub Nation's political panel tackled the difficult topic of how to balance the reporting of MPs' personal issues and transparency.
Justice Minister Kiri Allan has stepped down from all of her portfolios effective immediately after being charged with careless driving and refusing to accompany a police officer.
Andrea Vance, who has been heavily involved in reporting on Allan - even before the crash when she brought bullying allegations again the now-former minister to light - said it had been a trickly balance to strike.
"Obviously this is a person in the middle of a crisis," said Vance, Stuff's national affairs editor.
"At the same time, the Justice Minister was arrested and there are huge questions about what actually happened at the scene."
Vance maintains MPs' privacy can be respected while also working towards transparency.
"We can have a conversation about what happened and what led to this but also balance that with some compassion for what's happened to her as well," she said.
Gareth Hughes, a former Green Party MP, noted Allan's story was "tragic personal one".
"She was one of the most powerful people in the country on the executive as a Minister which means there is genuine public interest," he said.
He said because of the virtue of Allan's role, it was being played out very publicly.
Hughes referenced Todd Muller, who suffered mental health troubles during his time as leader of the National Party, calling Parliament "a toxic and brutal place".
Hughes wonders if Allan felt the pressure to come back from earlier mental health leave too soon.
"I'm aware of MPs who have come back from surgery and have lied on their couches in their office because they thought they were doing the right thing," he said.
"It's a toxic difficult place and I think it's tragic that we aren't improving the mental health of politicians, staff and everyone associated with politics.
"Our democracy is worse for it," he said.
Former National chief press secretary Janet Wilson said that the nature of Parliament is adversarial.
"Parliament is a place where your own values are very much on show all day every day.
"Who you are and what you stand for is very important but people's values get lost in the heat of value," she said.
Hughes believes "there's no reason why a democracy should chew people up and spit them out".
"It comes down to culture and institutions," he said.
"We imported this old Westminster model which landed in the middle of Wellington and it's not really fit for having a more constructive and consensus-building approach to politics."
But Vance said, at the same time, "I think there should be an element of pressure there".
"These people hold a lot of power and they are making consequential decisions about things that affect people's everyday lives.
"They shouldn't be wrapped up in cotton wool, it should be a hard place to work."
Vance added people "in all walks of life have crises and work in high-pressure environments".
"Parliament is a place where we should have very high standards and expectations of the people who represent us."
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