Veteran journalist Pat Booth finished his term as Howick community board chairman yesterday and will now shift his political focus north.
Mr Booth, OBE, is standing for three positions in the area where he now lives, near Kerikeri in the Far North.
He has been nominated for positions on the Northland HealthBoard, the Far North District Council eastern ward seat and the Kerikeri Paihia Community Board.
Mr Booth was elected chairman of the Howick board when he stood for the first time at the last elections.
But since then he and his wife, Valerie Davies, have moved from Howick to Waipapa, north of Kerikeri.
"We came up here on holiday and liked it so much we decided to make the move."
Mr Booth, who is 72, retired as editor in chief from Auckland Suburban Newspapers this year after a career in journalism spanning more than 50 years.
During that time he was deputy editor of the Auckland Star and also was a driving force behind the campaign to free Arthur Allan Thomas and also in the Mr Asia investigation.
"I think I have learned to ask the hard questions and keep asking them until I get the right answers."
He said Northland and the Far North had serious issues, including high levels of unemployment, poor housing, poor health statistics and a cash-strapped health board.
"A lot more needs to be said and done in Northland."
