Labour MP Grant Robertson has announced his resignation from politics after a long and storied career — serving under former Prime Ministers Jacinda Ardern and Chris Hipkins.
The finance spokesperson's time in the halls of power will come to an end after 15 years next month.
Robertson will take a break before taking on his new job as the vice-chancellor of his alma mater, Otago University, in July.
"I gave every single inch of myself to the jobs that I've had in Parliament and arguably even a little more than that in the last six years particularly, and so I knew that I didn't have it in me to go much further," he said, in announcing his resignation.
Robertson's retirement is the latest in a string of resignations in the party since last year's general election.
Labour leader Chris Hipkins called Robertson's departure "an emotional day".
"It won't come as a surprise to any of you that Jacinda and Grant have been two of my best friends not just in work but in my life," he said.
Despite the loss, Hipkins said he believed everyone in Parliament "has to make a judgement whether they still have more fight left in them or whether they're ready to move onto something else".
Mana MP Barbara Edmonds would take Robertson's finance portfolio, becoming the party's first Pasifika and female finance spokesperson.
The tax lawyer, of Samoan descent, was "brought up in a benefit-dependent household" by a single father-of-four.
Robertson praised his replacement, saying, "Barb can add up, she knows numbers, she's a tax lawyer, she used to work for Inland Revenue".
Hipkins called Edmonds "someone who understands that the economy fundamentally is about people".
And while the party leader himself has seen a disastrous drop in the 1News Verian poll for preferred prime minister, Hipkins still has support from his caucus.
"Not at all worried about the preferred prime minister ratings because I know for a fact that Chippy has the unanimous support of caucus," MP Kieran McAnulty said.
"The guy's got what I think everyone agrees is the worst job in politics," MP Greg O'Connor added.
Hipkins said despite the drop, he still had "plenty of fight left in me".
"I'm still feeling very energised about the job that I've got ahead."
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