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Richard Worth leaves parliament - Source: ONE News -
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Richard Worth has officially resigned as a Member of Parliament.
The move comes after Worth resigned as a Minister last week, following allegations of a sexual nature.
In a statement on Friday afternoon, Worth says that after resigning as a Cabinet Minister earlier this month, he has been "considering my personal options, and also the welfare of the National Party, a party which I love and have served to the best of my ability for the past nine years".
"As a result, I have today also resigned as a list Member of Parliament with immediate effect."
He says it would be easy to be bitter about the "avalanche of rumour and innuendo" that has led to the decision which he says is in the best interests of the party.
Worth reiterated that he has not committed any crime, and remains confident that when the "true facts" are established he will be cleared of any and all allegations of criminal conduct.
"Like most of us, if we are honest, I may at times during my life have said and done things which, when analysed in the cold light of day, may seem to have been unwise. As I said last week, like any other citizen I am entitled to the presumption of innocence until proven guilty."
But he says it is impossible to defend oneself in the public and political arena against hearsay, character assassination and scuttlebutt.
He says the campaign against him has Labour's fingerprints all over it and that they have been unable to back their claims with evidence.
"I could spend the future bemoaning the unfairness of a campaign which has Labour's fingerprints all over it, but that is not my nature," he says.
Worth says he went into politics to make a contribution to New Zealand, but can see that it is no longer possible.
He says he is now "choosing to follow another positive path" says his wife and family back him in his decision.
Police confirmed last week they are investigating a complaint against Worth.
Prime Minister John Key had hinted that he would like to see Worth out of his government, saying on Thursday that he had "washed his hands of Worth."
The former Minister is subject to two complaints by two separate women, one of whom is Neelam Choudary, a very active and prominent member of the Labour Party in Auckland.
Worth is accused of sending sexually explicit text messages and phone calls to Choudary, who claims he also offered her government jobs. She has not laid a police complaint.
