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Labour Party MP Peeni Henare has announced he won’t seek re-election to Parliament at this year’s general election.
“I have thought long and hard about this over the summer and decided not to seek the nomination for Tāmaki Makaurau again or a place on the Labour Party list,” he says.
First elected to Parliament in 2014, Henare represented Tāmaki Makaurau for nearly a decade, and has served across multiple ministerial portfolios, including most recently as Minister of Defence, Minister for Whānau Ora, and Minister for Tourism.
“It has been an honour to be a Labour MP and serve as a Minister for six years, I’m proud of our record in Government and I know the next Labour Government will continue the hard mahi,” Henare says.
“Last year was tough after losing the by-election and after careful consideration and kōrero with my whānau over the break, I have decided that it is time for me to take a step back from politics.
“It’s time to focus on my family, my well-being and my future.
“I want to thank my Labour caucus colleagues for all their support, and I will continue to tautoko their work and the party from outside Parliament.”
Henare will depart from Parliament in the coming weeks.
