Green MP David Clendon doesn't have a new job lined up when his Parliamentary career ends on September 23 but says he's looking forward to having more time for local environmental causes.
On Monday night Mr Clendon, who lives in Kerikeri, and fellow Green MP Kennedy Graham withdrew from the party list, saying they no longer had confidence in co-leader Metiria Turei.
The party initially threatened to expel the pair but has since agreed they will stay on until the election but won't take part in the campaign.
Mr Clendon said the revelation that Mrs Turei had been enrolled in a different electorate to where she was living, on top of earlier revelations about benefits she received in the 1990s, had prompted his decision.
He believed she should have stepped down and her decision not to seek a ministerial role was "a half way house".
Mr Clendon said he had not previously had issues with Mrs Turei's leadership.
"She has been a very good and strong leader for a long time, unfortunately that has been compromised."
He rejected claims he had "thrown the party under a bus" weeks out from an election.
"More harm would have been done if Ken [Kennedy Graham] and I had stayed on in a half-hearted, uncommitted campaign."
He was disappointed by "false accusations" from a party official that he was disgruntled and had done next to no campaigning. She had since withdrawn those comments, he said.
It was a sad way to end a Parliamentary career which began in 2009 when Sue Bradford stepped down and he was the next candidate on the list.
He had wanted another term as an MP but would remain a party member and would vote Green in the upcoming election.
The party's Northland branch was discussing a replacement candidate and had until August 28, the deadline for nominations.
The party also had a candidate in Tai Tokerau, te reo teacher Godfrey Rudolph, and a "very strong young candidate" in Whangarei, Ash Holwell.
The upside of leaving Parliament was that he would be able to spend more time in Northland.
"I'll be looking for another role where I can do useful and interesting work, but I'm not sure what that will be."
He was also looking forward to getting more involved in community groups such as Landcare and Vision Kerikeri.
He had been a member of Vision Kerikeri for several years but had been unable to commit fully because he had to spent part of each week in Wellington.