New Zealand opposition leader Todd Muller quits weeks before general election and only 53 days since he got job
The leader of New Zealand's opposition National Party has resigned just over two months before a general election and only 53 days after he took charge of the right-of-centre party.
Todd Muller said he was stepping down "effective immediately" following a scandal that has embroiled the party in recent weeks. It was revealed that a junior lawmaker leaked private health details of New Zealand Covid-19 patients to news media.
The information was provided by a former party president who received it confidentially in her capacity as acting chief executive of the Auckland rescue helicopter organisation.
Mr Muller has been widely criticised for his handling of the scandal and the veracity of some of his statements had been challenged. He was facing questions over when he knew the source of the leak and if he knew that one of his most senior MPs had also received the information.
The private information was sent to three media organisations but was not published.
"It has become clear to me that I am not the best person to be leader of the Opposition and Leader of the New Zealand National Party at this critical time for New Zealand," Mr Muller said. "It is more important than ever that the New Zealand National Party has a leader who is comfortable in the role.
"The role has taken a heavy toll on me personally, and on my family, and this has become untenable from a health perspective."
The National Party announced that deputy Nikki Kaye would be the acting leader. A full meeting of the party caucus was due to take place later on Tuesday at which a new leader may be chosen but there are few obvious candidates.
Mr Muller was a low-profile member of the party when he was chosen to lead the coup that toppled former leader Simon Bridges, whose lack of popularity with voters had begun to worry MPs as the election approached.
The party has struggled to dent the popularity of Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, whose government has high approval ratings for its handling of the coronavirus pandemic. New Zealand has gone 73 days without a case of community transmission and has suffered a low toll of 22 deaths.
Life has returned to mostly normal with schools, bars and restaurants all open and with packed stadiums at sports events. Only international travel remains restricted, and New Zealand's only active virus cases are among returned travelers in quarantine.
