Radio New Zealand
Wellington, January 16, 2024
Green MP Golriz Ghahraman is stepping down from Parliament after being accused of shoplifting on three separate occasions.
In a statement, she said that stress relating to her work had led her to “act in ways that are completely out of character. I am not trying to excuse my actions, but I do want to explain them.”
“The mental health professional I see says that my recent behaviour is consistent with recent events giving rise to extreme stress response, and relating to previously unrecognised trauma,” she said.
High Standards breached
Ms Ghahraman said that she had fallen short of the high standards expected of elected representatives and apologised.
“I have let down a lot of people and I am very sorry. It is not a behaviour that I can explain because it is not rational in any way, and after a medical evaluation, I understand that I am not well. The best thing for my mental health is to resign as a Member of Parliament and to focus on my recovery and to find other ways to work for positive change in the world,” she said in a Statement.
Ms Ghahraman thanked Scotties Boutique “for the kindness and empathy they have shown me,” and asked for space and privacy so that she could get better.
The allegations involved the Auckland clothing retailer Scotties Boutique and Wellington clothing store Cre8iveworx.
Police confirmed they were investigating reports of an incident on December 23, 2023. The Police have repeatedly refused to comment on any second alleged incident. The Green Party confirmed on January 10, 2024 that Ms Ghahraman had temporarily stood down from her portfolio roles.
Green Party Leaders react
Green Party Co-Leaders Marama Davidson and James Shaw, in a separate statement, said that Ms Ghahraman had been the leading voice in Parliament for human rights, truly independent foreign policy, and electoral reform for six years, but “it is clear to us that Ms Ghahraman is in a state of extreme distress.”
“She has taken responsibility and apologised. We support the decision she has made to resign. We are deeply sorry to see Ms Ghahraman leave under these circumstances and we wish her all the best for the future,” they said.
Mr Shaw and Ms Davidson said that Ms Ghahraman had worked tirelessly on behalf of her communities.
“Nothing detracts from that work and we know that she will continue to support those communities in future. We cannot comment on the details of allegations while police investigations are continuing,” they said.
Mr Shaw and Ms Davidson confirmed that they had been informed of an allegation on 27 December, as well as a second incident at the same store.
They had not said anything at the time, because the store involved did not want it to be made public and was happy to wait for Ghahraman to return from a long-planned overseas trip.
The third alleged incident to be made public – at Cre8iveworx on Wellington’s Cuba Street – was claimed to have occurred on 26 October last year, about a week and a half after the election.
An email was sent from Cre8iveworx to the Police-run “Eyes on” crime prevention network on Monday afternoon, naming Ms Ghahraman and including images of her in the store in October. The email claimed she targeted a “substantial value of goods,” and said it was “beyond disappointing that someone in this position should be targeting a small independent boutique.”
Support from colleagues
Mr Shaw said that Ms Ghahraman was getting a lot of support from her colleagues in the Green caucus, other Green Party members, as well as from other communities to which she is connected.
“And of course most importantly, she has got professional support as well,” he said.
Ms Davidson said that they would continue to support Ms Ghahraman by ensuring that she knows “that our aroha and compassion that we are holding that as colleagues, as friends, as women in politics. That is important to us,” she said.
Mr Shaw said that the outgoing MP was subject to continuous death threats, as well as threats of physical and sexual violence during her time in Parliament.
He said that Parliament had improved in terms of making support available to MPs over the last few years.
“We strongly encourage our MPs and our staff to access professional support if they feel that they need it and we will continue to do so,” he said.
According to Mr Shaw, the outgoing MP was not looking for an excuse for disclosing her mental health issues.
“She is trying to seek a reason to explain her behaviour, not to justify it. I think that is really important,” Shaw said. He said that pressures on MPs were discussed as a caucus including at monthly staff meetings of senior MPs and staff, at a quarterly weekend meeting, as well as working closely with parliamentary security, police and IT.
The Successor
Ms Ghahraman was elected on the Green Party list, ranked 7th. She held ten spokesperson portfolios, including Justice, Defence, and Foreign Affairs.
Her resignation allows the next person on the list to enter Parliament – former Wellington mayor Celia Wade-Brown.
The above Report and pictures have been published under a special agreement with www.rnz.co.nz
