Retiring Labour MP Peeni Henare maintains he could have contested his old seat of Tāmaki Makaurau this election if he wished but says two failed attempts to win back the Auckland electorate have informed his decision to walk away.
Henare said he bowed out feeling no ill will toward his party as leader Chris Hipkins said Labour will miss Henare as a passionate advocate for Māori.
It brings to an end Henare’s 12-year career in Parliament, having acted as a minister and an electorate MP for almost a decade.
On Tuesday, media reports revealed Henare had decided to not contest Tāmaki Makaurau in the 2026 election and not put himself forward for a party list position.
Henare, speaking at Waitangi, told the Herald he had reflected on his inability to win the seat in the 2023 election and again in last year’s byelection, deciding he didn’t have the energy to successfully fight another election.
He also pointed to Labour MP Adrian Rurawhe’s recent retirement, saying it left him as the only member of Labour’s Māori caucus of 2014 still in Parliament.
“I think my time has come to let someone else give it a go, so I’m comfortable with my decision,” Henare said.
“It was always going to happen in Waitangi because this is my home.”
Henare said he could have run in Tāmaki Makaurau if he had wanted to, claiming the party had made that commitment after the byelection loss to Te Pāti Māori’s Oriini Kaipara.
Henare said he felt no ill will towards Labour following his decision.
“The beauty about politics is you don’t have to agree with everybody and that’s the case, certainly true in the caucus and in amongst my colleagues, but I leave with no bad feeling towards Labour or to any of my colleagues or in fact to anyone across the House.”
He recalled how he had chosen Labour for his entry into politics, noting other parties had made offers in the past.
Acknowledging his close relationship with relatives Winston Peters and Shane Jones of New Zealand First, Henare laughed when asked if he had considered running for NZ First in the future, responding: “Definitely not.”
Henare, who expected to sit with fellow members of his Ngāpuhi iwi in upcoming pōwhiri instead of Labour, said he would take some time with whānau before deciding his next career move.
Speaking at Waitangi in Northland, Hipkins said the byelection loss had weighed heavily on Henare.
“I want to acknowledge Peeni for the huge contribution he has made to Labour’s team and to Māori. He has been a staunch and passionate advocate for Māori during his 12 years in Parliament,” the Labour leader said.
“We will miss him.”
Earlier on Tuesday, Hipkins would not answer questions about whether he had confidence in Henare to win his old seat back, saying he didn’t want to elaborate on the matter until Henare had the time to address it publicly himself.
Hipkins, speaking at Waitangi alongside Greens co-leaders Marama Davidson and Chlöe Swarbrick, confirmed he was aware of Henare’s decision after the pair had conversations in the past two weeks.
“I’ve always been really clear, and my position stays the same today, that MPs make their own decisions and own announcements about their futures, and then I’m happy to comment on them once they’ve done that, but I don’t do that on their behalf.”
Pressed on the party’s position, Hipkins refused to elaborate.
“I’m not going to be commenting further on the matter until Peeni himself has made further public comments on it.”
Hipkins dismissed the suggestion that not expressing confidence in the former Labour minister indicated he did not have confidence in Henare.
When Hipkins was asked about his confidence in Henare later that day, he said: “Peeni Henare served as a senior minister in the Government that I led – he has been a senior spokesperson for Labour over the last two-and-a-half years – he wouldn’t have had those roles if I didn’t have confidence in him."
In an earlier statement, Henare said the decision to leave Parliament would allow him to focus on his wellbeing, his family and his future.
“It has been an honour to be a Labour MP and serve as a minister for six years, I’m proud of our record in Government and I know the next Labour Government will continue the hard mahi [work].”
Henare held the Auckland Māori seat for almost a decade before losing it to Te Pāti Māori’s Takutai Tarsh Kemp, who died last year.
Last year, Henare spoke about how regaining the Auckland Māori seat of Tāmaki Makaurau in the byelection that was triggered by Kemp’s passing would be a “redemption journey”.
“I want it even more now. I have grown and learned a lot ... and now I feel even better equipped to be able to represent Tāmaki Makaurau.”
Henare went on to lose the seat again in the 2023 byelection to newcomer Kaipara, who stood for Te Pāti Māori.
Henare has held several high-profile portfolios, including defence, social development, Whānau Ora and being the Associate Minister of Health.
The leaders of Labour and the Greens appeared together intentionally on Tuesday, saying they hoped to show unity in what they considered to be a contrast with the current three-party coalition Government.
Polling throughout the course of this term has thus far indicated a three-party coalition will be required to have enough support to form a Government after this year’s election.
Despite being in Waitangi at the time of the stand-up, neither of Te Pāti Māori’s co-leaders had been invited to join the Labour and Green Party leaders.
Hipkins had been particularly critical of the party as it grappled with its decision last year to expel two of its MPs.
One, Te Tai Tokerau MP Mariameno Kapa-Kingi, has challenged the decision in the courts and is awaiting a verdict after a hearing yesterday.
Hipkins, who has said the turmoil suggests Te Pāti Māori is currently unfit to govern, on Tuesday said Labour and the Greens had a “different working relationship” with Te Pāti Māori and reiterated his view the party needed to address its issues.
Davidson said the Greens had worked well with Te Pāti Māori over many years, including through what she described as the party’s “troubles”.
“We hope they work things out, we’ve got a big job to do, which is to get rid of this anti-Māori, anti-Tiriti Government.”
The Green Party had also endured a torrid term, facing MPs who have resigned in scandal, managing Davidson’s cancer diagnosis and coping with the tragic death of the late Efeso Collins.
Hipkins argued the Green Party’s issues were distinct from Te Pāti Māori’s.
“I don’t think you can put them in the same category,” he said.
“Te Pāti Māori is a very fractured party and within Māoridom, we’ve had a lot of feedback about that and they really need to work out those internal issues out before they can speak to other parties.”