National MP Dr Shane Reti is retiring from politics and will not seek re-election.
He joined Parliament in 2014, becoming the first Māori MP for Whangārei, a seat he held for three of his four terms.
In a statement, the minister said it was a great privilege to serve the people of Whangārei.
“I have always felt valued by the National Party, and for that I thank the Prime Minister, local party executive, and my colleagues and staff in Wellington and Whangārei offices for their support over many years as Whangārei MP, Deputy Leader of the National Party, Interim leader of the National Party, and as a Minister.
“Highlights include progressing the 4 lanes to Whangārei and advancing policies that, as Minister of Health, expanded breast cancer screening for 70–74-year-old NZ women and established a 3rd medical school at Waikato.
“Reshaping the science and technology sector to look more like other small advanced economies that improve benefits to taxpayers has been a privilege – especially amalgamating the 7 Crown Research Institutes into 3 Public Research Organisations,” said Reti.
He currently holds the portfolios for Statistics, Universities, Pacific Peoples, and Science, Innovation, and Technology.
Reti plans to serve out the remainder of the term before leaving Parliament after the election.
