Woodhouse exiting politics a surprise

A109 Light Utility Helicopter flight with mayor Gisborne City from the air in November 2023.

Opinion

With the National Party no longer able to claim a wealth of ministerial experience for an incoming government, it was surprising to have long-serving MP Michael Woodhouse announce his effective resignation at the weekend over a lowly list ranking in the party’s election-year line up.

The Dunedin-based MP has been in Parliament for 15 years, entering in 2008 and serving in various ministerial roles from 2013-2017.

He became National’s deputy shadow leader of the House when it returned to Opposition in 2017 and in January this year he was made shadow leader of the House in a reshuffle of Luxon’s cabinet.

But it seems he has failed to impress since then and was no longer figuring to any great extent in Luxon’s plans for National retaking the treasury benches after October’s election. No one is saying what his mooted list spot was, but he was previously ranked 16.

In a post on Facebook, Woodhouse said he had withdrawn his name from the party list after learning where he would have been ranked.

“It was clear from the ranking offered that I was not part of the leadership’s thinking regarding ministerial positions, so I feel the best thing to do is to stand aside and allow a fresher face into the caucus from the list. I do so somewhat sad about the process of my departure from political life but overwhelmingly grateful to have been able to serve the people in the party I love for the past 15 years.”

Luxon announced the party list on Saturday afternoon and told reporters he had spoken directly with Woodhouse that afternoon.

“He made it very clear to me that he wanted to withdraw from the list. I fully respect his decision to do that.”

Luxon declined to answer whether Woodhouse had been right to assume he wouldn’t have been a minister, while paying tribute to his “fantastic” contribution to the party and Parliament.

“I wish him really well . . . he has done it all in his political career over 15 years . . . he’s been a senior minister in the Key and English governments holding really important portfolios, and he’s played a really important role in our team in Opposition.”

Woodhouse has been a list MP throughout his time in Parliament, while standing in the Dunedin electorate (formerly Dunedin North) that is a safe Labour seat — having voted red since 1928, apart from one term in 1975-78. In 2020 Labour’s David Clark got 53.7 percent of the vote to Woodhouse’s 19.2 percent; Labour’s Rachel Brooking is expected to win the seat at this election.

East Coast candidate Dana Kirkpatrick appears to have the onus on her to win the electorate to enter Parliament, with her list ranking of 44 not an assured Plan B.