New Zealand opposition MP who leaked details of COVID-19 patients resigns

A New Zealand politician has resigned after admitting he leaked the names of coronavirus patients to news media. The news organisations did not publish the names. A former National Party president, Michelle Boag, also resigned from several political and nonpolitical roles after acknowledging she'd leaked the names to Walker.

A New Zealand politician has resigned after admitting he leaked the names of coronavirus patients to news media. Conservative opposition lawmaker Hamish Walker said Wednesday he was sorry for his actions and was withdrawing his candidacy for the September general election in a seat he was expected to win

Walker sent the details of 18 patients to several news outlets on condition he remained anonymous as the source. He said he was exposing a "significant privacy issue" for the government because the patient names weren't password secured. But news organisations said he'd given them the information to refute claims he was racist, after he'd earlier said that active cases were coming into the country from India, Pakistan and South Korea. The news organisations did not publish the names. National Party leader Todd Muller said there was a "clear breach of trust" by Walker, which went against the party's values. A former National Party president, Michelle Boag, also resigned from several political and nonpolitical roles after acknowledging she'd leaked the names to Walker.