Former Speaker and longstanding National Party MP Lockwood Smith has delivered his final speech to Parliament, telling his fellow MPs that his biggest regret was voting against homosexual law reform in 1986.
Nearly 30 years after he was first elected to Parliament in 1984, Dr Smith is resigning to take up the appointment as New Zealand's High Commissioner in London.
As former MPs and staff watched on, Dr Smith said that as a relatively new MP he was caught in the `dilemma' of voting according to his own conscience or the will of his constituents. He said he had long regretted opting for the latter and opposing the bill.
Dr Smith also said he believed MMP had changed Parliament significantly and while it had the advantage of widening representation, it had also had the unintended consequence of making MPs more accountable to their parties than to voters. He said he was not advocating for MMP to be overturned but believed it was
Dr Smith also paid his respects to Labour leader David Shearer, saying he had a high level of respect for him and the dignity with which he conducted himself in Parliament. He said Prime Minister John Key had brought something unique to the job - and had never once tried to influence Dr Smith's handling of Parliament.