Peters setting up shop in Auckland

Winston Peters

New Zealand First leader Winston Peters - who was famously always "happy to be the MP for Tauranga" - is setting up an office in central Auckland and won't commit to standing in Tauranga at the next election.

Mr Peters, who is Foreign Affairs Minister outside the Cabinet, says he will share the office, opening in two weeks, with fellow NZ First list MP Pita Paraone.

Mr Peters was Tauranga MP for 21 years, but after a bitterly fought race lost the seat to National candidate Bob Clarkson last year.

Yesterday, he said he would keep his Tauranga office, but would also attend the Auckland office once a month.

"If you look at the Tauranga office and advertisements it remains the same, albeit downsized in terms of my funding because of the change since the election."

But NZ First president Dail Jones said Mr Peters was not keeping his Tauranga office.

"The office in Tauranga is the office of Peter Brown [NZ First deputy leader]. Winston no longer has an office in Tauranga. He now has an office in Auckland on Wyndham St."

When the Herald asked Mr Peters if he would stand in Tauranga at the next election he would not give a definite answer. "I'm going to cross those bridges when we get near the election. I'm not going to give you an answer three years out."

Despite Mr Peters' ambiguous answer, it is considered highly unlikely that he will stand in Tauranga again, and there is speculation that he may retire from politics at the next election, when he will be 63.

Mr Peters said NZ First had been wanting to open an office in Auckland for years but had not been able to find a suitable facility. "We had a chance to secure one in the CBD and we are very happy about it."