ISSUE
Friday, August 15, 2025
Volume 16 . Issue 72
Labour MP Shane Jones will leave politics at the end of next month, he said that it was time to go.
Mr Jones said he had told Labour leader David Cunliffe of his decision as well as the Party President Moira Coatsworth.
He has been in talks with Foreign Minister Murray McCully for some time about a possible role in an international fisheries management role and expected that to go through.
Foreign Minister Murray McCully confirmed he had approached Mr Jones early in the year about a role focussing on economic development across the Pacific.
Mr Jones entered Parliament in 2005 and was promoted to Cabinet in November 2007 as Minister for Building and Construction. He was re-elected to Parliament in 2008 and has served as spokesman for Maori Affairs and Economic Development, and associate spokesperson for Finance.
Last year, he contested the leadership of the Labour Party in a leadership election, but lost to David Cunliffe. In recent months, he has been an outspoken critic of supermarket chains using their buying power to influence suppliers.
"I was true to myself after I lost the leadership. I'm not able to give Labour the 100 per cent that I ought to be giving. They need a team that will stay for the long term and I'm not in that space."
"The leadership has a bit to do with it, but also I'm 55 this year and I just want to go and do something else."
Labour MP Shane Jones says it was an extremely difficult decision to walk away from politics.
Labour Party leader David Cunliffe says the party will be sorry to lose Mr Jones.
"He's a much valued colleague and we'll all miss him," said MrCunliffe.
Labour MP Shane Jones will leave politics at the end of next month, he said that it was time to go. Mr Jones said he had told Labour leader David Cunliffe of his decision as well as the Party President Moira Coatsworth. He has been in talks with Foreign Minister Murray McCully for some time...
Labour MP Shane Jones will leave politics at the end of next month, he said that it was time to go.
Mr Jones said he had told Labour leader David Cunliffe of his decision as well as the Party President Moira Coatsworth.
He has been in talks with Foreign Minister Murray McCully for some time about a possible role in an international fisheries management role and expected that to go through.
Foreign Minister Murray McCully confirmed he had approached Mr Jones early in the year about a role focussing on economic development across the Pacific.
Mr Jones entered Parliament in 2005 and was promoted to Cabinet in November 2007 as Minister for Building and Construction. He was re-elected to Parliament in 2008 and has served as spokesman for Maori Affairs and Economic Development, and associate spokesperson for Finance.
Last year, he contested the leadership of the Labour Party in a leadership election, but lost to David Cunliffe. In recent months, he has been an outspoken critic of supermarket chains using their buying power to influence suppliers.
"I was true to myself after I lost the leadership. I'm not able to give Labour the 100 per cent that I ought to be giving. They need a team that will stay for the long term and I'm not in that space."
"The leadership has a bit to do with it, but also I'm 55 this year and I just want to go and do something else."
Labour MP Shane Jones says it was an extremely difficult decision to walk away from politics.
Labour Party leader David Cunliffe says the party will be sorry to lose Mr Jones.
"He's a much valued colleague and we'll all miss him," said MrCunliffe.
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