Looks like an interesting next 3 weeks coming up,
Under-fire senior National MP Judith Collins has quit as a minister.
Ms Collins resigned on Saturday after Prime Minister John Key's office was given a copy of an email that suggests she may have been involved in discussions with Whale Oil blogger Cameron Slater in 2011 about undermining the then director of the Serious Fraud Office Adam Feeley.
Ms Collins was the minister responsible for the SFO at the time.
"The prime minister and the National Party have an election to win and I wish to stop being the subject of daily distractions," Ms Collins told a press conference at the National Party Headquarters in Auckland.
"I have been the subject of a two year smear campaign and it seems that every day both I and the prime minister are having to defend me against false allegations and innuendos."
Ms Collins denies any allegations she was trying to remove Mr Feeley from his position.
"I completely refute any such inference," she said.
"I cannot control what other people say about me or when they leverage off my name."
Ms Collins has asked for an inquiry into the matter and she says she will co-operate fully.
"I look forward to clearing my name, I will not let this disappointment define me."
Ms Collins' press conference lasted less than three minutes and she refused to take questions from journalists.
Mr Key says his office was given a copy of the email - sent by Slater to others, but not Ms Collins - in confidence on Friday and he spoke to Ms Collins on Saturday morning.
Resigning was the honourable thing to do, he said.
However, Mr Key says he doesn't regret not taking action against Ms Collins sooner.
The new allegations were far more serious than previous allegations levelled against her.
"As prime minister I have to deal with every situation that comes along and on the basis and merits of the facts. In my view, this is a far more serious matter than anything else I've seen," he said.
It wasn't tenable for Ms Collins to stay on as a minister while there were still issues to be resolved.
"It's not tenable for me to do anything other than accept her resignation," Mr Key said.
"When people give me information I have to act."
Mr Key said it's still to be decided what form the inquiry will take.
However, Ms Collins shouldn't expect to return to cabinet if National is re-elected, Mr Key said.
He didn't rule out Ms Collins returning as a minister in the future if she is cleared of any wrongdoing.
Meanwhile, Slater says Ms Collins has been "taken down by 1000 cuts".
"As Judith and I are friends, I am gutted for her," he told reporters.
He denies he's contributed to the downfall of his good mate's career and says the email was sent one year before Mr Feeley resigned of his own accord.
"If Judith Collins was gunning for somebody, she'd have got them," Slater said.
Ms Collins' resignation takes effect immediately.
She will continue campaigning to be re-elected as the MP for Papakura.
Christopher Finlayson will be Acting Minister of Justice, Craig Foss will be Acting Minister for ACC and Hekia Parata will be Acting Minister for Ethnic Affairs.
Mr Feeley, now the chief executive of Queenstown Lakes District Council, isn't commenting on Ms Collins' resignation.
COLLINS' SLIP-UPS
Faced intense scrutiny over her dealings with export company Oravida during her official trip to China last year. Her husband is one of the company's directors
Was forced to apologise and take a few days off after making comments about a press gallery journalist, who she accused of inappropriately seeking ministerial help
Nicky Hager's book Dirty Politics made a number of allegations about Collins and her relationship with Slater
An email released by the person who claims to have hacked Slater's computer showed Collins gave the blogger not just the name and position of public servant Simon Pleasants, but also his contact details
An email given to Key's office suggests Collins may have been trying in 2011 to undermine the then SFO director. She was the minister responsible for the SFO at the time.
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Originally Posted by Stylo
... Happens every time now ... thanks to MMP ... government by lottery! 
Democracy New Zealand style! FFS! 
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