Winston Peters says he won't run in next month's Tauranga by-election.
The NZ First leader told Newstalk ZB he won't and his party won't be running.
Peters said of the by-election: "At a time when we've got so much wasteful spending, here we've got another example of a waste and no political party in Parliament think it's of any concern at all."
The veteran politician who wasn't re-elected in the last general election held the Tauranga seat from 1984-2005 - first for National, then as an independent and then for NZ First.
In March then National MP Simon Bridges announced he was stepping down from politics after holding the Tauranga seat since 2008.
Sam Uffindell - who works for Rabobank and owns an agribusiness - will stand for the National Party.
Internal Affairs Minister and former local primary school principal Jan Tinetti is Labour's candidate, while ACT has put forward builder Cameron Luxton.
Te Pāti Māori said it will not stand a candidate because of threats from white supremacists.
Nominations for the seat close at midday today (Tuesday). The by-election will be held on June 18.
SHARE ME