KEY POINTS:
Cabinet minister Steve Maharey will leave politics without fulfilling the promise a rare mix of being both telegenic and intelligent gave him.
When Mr Maharey announced today he would not stand at the 2008 election, he confirmed something Labour Party insiders had known for several months.
Since entering Parliament in 1990, Mr Maharey had risen as high as No 4 in Cabinet, held weighty portfolios, and was rated one of those most likely to succeed Prime Minister Helen Clark.
But in the end the left-leaning Palmerston North MP will depart the Beehive having failed to soar as high as it seemed he would when an incisive, probing and feared Opposition MP.
Mr Maharey proved glib and unflappable in the House when in the firing line at question time, and smooth and informed on television when fronting difficult issues.
A debating chamber attack dog, he was a valuable Labour Party frontliner, never in line to be placed on "death row" in the party's search for new blood going into the 2008 election.
But not all politicians can do all political tasks, and he was not as good as some others at effecting change in his portfolios, so that issues in his care ran more smoothly.
In tertiary education he was plagued by money wastage such as the $26,000 grant for Fuarosa Tamati and daughter Saralia to travel to New York, Los Angeles, Hawaii, Fiji, Samoa and Paris to document the history of hip-hop music.
And his career was derailed by personal misfortune. When his wife Liz Mackay got cancer in 1998, he cared for her until she died in March 2004, then took four months' extended leave to grieve her.
Ms Mackay, who was in her early 50s, had been a staunch supporter of his political career.
He often paid tribute to her and said she had kept things running smoothly at home during his lengthy absences.
His ability to handle difficult issues was put to the test when former Winz boss Christine Rankin sued the Government for breach of contract and a personal grievance.
Ms Rankin alleged State Services Commissioner Michael Wintringham was subject to political influence around her personal style and dress when he decided not to renew her contract.
In court, she told of a "chilling" visit from Mr Maharey in July 1999, during which she said his personal dislike for her was obvious.
Ms Rankin said the meeting was a chilling experience "of the like I had never experienced".
She said Mr Maharey appeared to care little about the effect his attacks had on her, and manufactured public outrage against her.
"I was shaken and frightened that this would spell the end of my career. I consider I have been demonised."
Mr Maharey had raised her personal image, telling her to stop wearing Hugo Boss glasses, to change her "too big" earrings, her dress, and her hair.
When Ms Rankin lost her case, Mr Maharey said he was pleased the case was over.
"It's been time-consuming for my office as well as for me personally," he said.
"These claims have upset my family and I'm really pleased to put it behind me. I haven't liked having my parents and so on being upset."
Mr Maharey was again a target when maverick Labour MP John Tamihere self destructed before the 2005 election.
Mr Tamihere dubbed Mr Maharey "smarmy".
"You can spend two hours with Maharey and walk away none the wiser but you've got three screeds of paper full of notes," he said.
"So there's operators like him who are very smarmy, very clever, but no substance. It's all about status."
Before the 2005 election a New Zealand Herald Digi Poll rated Mr Maharey fifth in line to succeed Miss Clark as prime minister if she left the job.
He trailed Finance Minister Michael Cullen, Phil Goff, Mr Tamihere -- who was not re-elected that year -- and Education Minister Trevor Mallard.
The same year political newsletter Trans Tasman picked him and Mr Goff as the most likely people to replace Miss Clark, with Mr Mallard an outside chance.
Mr Maharey holds the education, broadcasting, research, science and technology portfolios, and is Minister for Crown Research Institutes and Minister responsible for the Education Review Office.
He has also held the social development and employment, housing, youth affairs, associate education (tertiary education) and community and voluntary sector portfolios.
He has a BA and MA (Hons) in sociology and was a senior sociology lecturer at Massey University before entering Parliament. He also taught business administration.
Now he will return to Massey as vice-chancellor, leaving a significant gap in the Labour Party frontline.
- NZPA
