Shane Jones, deputy leader of New Zealand First, is probing the full story behind Labour MP Peeni Henare’s resignation, convinced key details remain untold.
Senior Labour list MP Peeni Henare has announced he will not run in the next general election, choosing to focus on his family and personal wellbeing.
“I have decided not to seek the nomination for Tāmaki Makaurau again or a place on the Labour Party list,” Henare said in a statement.
He said he had thought “long and hard” about his future over the summer.
Following the opening of the upgraded Haruru Falls Road behind the Waitangi Treaty Grounds, Jones voiced surprise over Henare’s retirement.
“I had no idea that Peeni was going to move on. Peeni’s grandfather was our paramount chief of the north, the last commander of the Māori Battalion, a dearly loved figure throughout all the tribes of the motu,” he said.
“I’m not across all the details, but I want to make sure that the story, when it’s fully told, that we focus on what’s happened because he struck me as a guy who had quite a large potential for politics.”
Jones said he’d investigate what happened, relying on the “kumara vine” for insights, but urged Labour and Henare to be more transparent.
“That’s up to them to ensure that there’s a very comprehensive account as to what’s happened to this young leader of Te Tai Tokerau and why he, all of a sudden, is departing from the Labour Party. I mean, whatever we think about Māori leadership, Peeni Henare is blessed with the lineage of leadership throughout the north.”