Video: Outgoing Steven Joyce offered 'my choice of portfolios' - except finance

Steven Joyce has revealed he was offered his choice of shadow portfolios, except finance, by new National leader Simon Bridges, but says those options didn't pose a satisfactory challenge.

After 10 years as a National MP, Joyce yesterday announced his retirement from politics after his failed bid for the National leadership.

Mr Joyce said even if he had been offered his desired finance portfolio, which he served as the National's Minister for during their last year in government, he would likely have departed before the next election.

"Well actually I was given my choice of portfolios, not finance but pretty much everything else," he told TVNZ 1's Breakfast show.

"That's what Simon said, I didn't test it and ask for one but he did say that he really wanted me as part of the team, front bench, and any portfolio as long as it wasn't finance.

'I said thank you, because I think it is a generous offer, but just decided there was a fork in the road and, you know, just a few things signaling to me I'd had my time and had some other things to look forward to."

Mr Joyce denied his decision to leave politics was due to the recent attrition in the National caucus, and that he was running out of allies within the party.

"No not at all, in fact one of the best things about standing for the leadership is a lot of people, and don't necessarily believe all the sprucing from all the sides on how brilliantly they did, but a lot of people were very supportive and spoke well and voted for me as well."

Mr Joyce would, however, not reveal how many of the 56 National MPs voted for him, citing it as a "sate secret".

He did say that he definitely would have entered the leadership race if he'd had his time again.

"It's a question that I needed to answer for myself," Mr Joyce said.

Mr Bridges assumed the National leadership last week, and said it only took two rounds of voting for him to receive the majority of votes required to defeat the other four leadership candidates.

Mr Joyce said it is possible he may enter the tech sector following politics.