Barnett retires

Tim Barnett has announced he will not seek a Labour list nomination this year (he had already previously announced he would not be standing for Christchurch Central).

This is no surprise – I blogged in June that Transtasman reported he would retire and maybe return to the UK. And the Dom Post predicted this at the end of last year also.

Has always been a mystery to me how Helen Clark made people like Rick Barker, Dover Samuels and Harry Duynhoven as Ministers ahead of Barnett.

Talking of Labour MPs, Ann Hartley gives her valedictory on Wednesday and will be replaced by Louisa Wall.  This means Labour will need to put an MP up as a replacement Assistant Speaker.  Not sure if they have indicated yet who this would be.