22 Jul 2020

Former Green MP Holly Walker: life as politician under pressure

From First Up, 5:47 am on 22 July 2020

The culture of parliament is once again under the spotlight following the resignation of National Party MP Andrew Falloon yesterday morning. Mr Falloon left parliament after it had emerged he sent pornographic images to a person who was not his wife. However, Mr Falloon initially said he would not be seeking relection due to mental health concerns. It's cast a light on the halls of power, which came under fire last year after a review by Debbie Francis revealed a culture of bullying and harassment. In a 2018 article by Newsroom, the head of the Mental Health Foundation, Shaun Robinson, said at least 1 in 5 politicans experienced mental health issues. One person who has been open about her experiences with that in Parliament is former Green MP Holly Walker. She spoke with our reporter Katie Doyle about life as a politician under pressure.