ACT Party deputy leader and Tāmaki MP Brooke van Velden says she will not seek re-election at the election, announcing plans to leave Parliament and "explore opportunities in the private sector".
Van Velden, who serves as internal affairs and workplace relations minister, said she had never wanted to be a career politician.
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Her party made the announcement at a sudden media conference on Tuesday morning, with Parliamentary caucus members in attendance.
Van Velden told media she had first raised the matter with ACT leader David Seymour and the party's general secretary before Christmas. She told caucus members earlier this morning - roughly an hour and a half before the public announcement.
The news comes ahead of November's general election.
“I have never wanted to be a career politician, and while I believe there are so many more years I could serve my community, I wish to explore the private sector too. At some point in the future, I would like to return to public service," she said.
By the time of the November election, she will have spent six years as ACT deputy leader and MP - the last three as a minister.
Before that, she worked with David Seymour on the End of Life Choice Act.
Van Velden said she would continue to serve out the remainder of her term as Tāmaki MP and in her ministerial roles. Additionally, Seymour said her work on the Holidays Act reform could be "her greatest gift to small business".
She said: "It has been an absolute privilege to serve our country in Government and represent the people of Tāmaki and ACT, but I feel now is the right time for change."
Seymour described the announcement as "bittersweet" and praised van Velden's track record. "Brooke's career is as close to perfect as a political career could ever be.
"By 34 she's spent nine years on the Parliamentary precinct racking up win after win."
Seymour acknowledged he had made multiple attempts to convince van Velden to stay.
"David has had many phone calls with me trying to convince me to continue on, but ultimately, I've made up my mind," van Velden said.
Seymour said van Velden had been central to building ACT from a party with one MP and 0.5% support into "a driving force at the centre of Government".
ACT list MP and associate justice minister Nicole McKee said the announcement had been "a shock" but said the caucus was "incredibly proud" of van Velden.
"She's still very young. She's already expressed her desire to come back to politics at some stage, and I think she will be incredibly, even more valuable than she is now, when she returns in a couple of decades," McKee said.
Asked whether she had ambitions to lead the ACT Party, van Velden said she did not, saying she had been "very loyal to David" as his deputy for nearly six years.
The party said it would select a new Tāmaki candidate at a meeting in late April, with expressions of interest currently open.
Van Velden will remain as deputy leader until the party's annual general meeting on Sunday, June 21, where she will hand over to a successor who will form ACT's new leadership team alongside Seymour heading into the general election campaign.
In the coming months, the caucus will make a recommendation to the party's board on the appointment. Seymour said he expected the new deputy to be selected from among current caucus members, describing the process as "very collegial".
Van Velden said she planned to remain active in the general election campaign, supporting the new Tāmaki candidate and the party vote effort.
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