Labour Party general secretary steps down

Labour's old guard is continuing to move on with party general secretary Mike Smith announcing his intention to retire.

President Andrew Little said Mr Smith told the party of his decision at the weekend. He would retire at the party's annual conference in September.

Mr Smith has been the general secretary since 2001.

"Mike will leave a huge gap in institutional knowledge and history of the Labour Party," Mr Little said.

The party was in a phase of refreshing, Mr Little said, and was focusing on renewing and rebuilding its systems before the 2011 election.

The position was being advertised and the party hoped to make an appointment in time for the conference.

Labour has injected new blood into its parliamentary ranks in the past few years and has a new leader, Phil Goff, after Helen Clark stood down after Labour lost last year's election.

Party president Mike Williams resigned late last year after several controversies and was replaced by unionist Mr Little.

- NZPA