National MP Barbara Kuriger has resigned from her portfolios after party leader Christopher Luxon became aware of a 'significant conflict of interest' involving the Taranaki-King Country MP.
"Last night, I accepted Taranaki-King Country MP Barbara Kuriger’s resignation from her portfolios of Agriculture, Biosecurity and Food Safety," Luxon said in a statement.
"I have become aware that Ms Kuriger and her family are involved in a personal dispute with the Ministry of Primary Industries that is ongoing."
Luxon said Kuriger accepts the situation is "a significant conflict of interest" and that "the failure to recognise it and to take steps to manage this conflict has been a serious lapse of judgement".
"On this basis, Ms Kuriger felt it appropriate to resign from her portfolios."
Bay of Plenty MP Todd Muller will take over as acting party spokesperson for agriculture, biosecurity and food safety.
In a statement, Kuriger said the dispute was "over events that occurred in 2017".
"This has created a blurred line with my portfolio responsibilities and in order to continue to support my family, I am stepping aside," she said. "Although the dispute is, for me, a personal matter which I have endeavoured at all times to keep separate from my professional role, I accept there has been a conflict of interest which I should have recognised sooner, and managed."
Kuriger said she won't be making further comment while the dispute is ongoing.
The Taranaki-King Country MP is currently in her third term in Parliament, having first been elected in 2014.
She took on the party's agriculture, biosecurity and food safety portfolios across 2020 and 2021.
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