John Carter announces retirement

NZPA report:

National’s Northland MP John Carter has announced he won’t stand for re-election at next year’s general election.

“This is my eighth term as MP for Northland, the region where I was born and bred,” he said today.

“I believe I have represented Northland well for 23 years…the time has come for me to move on in my life, thus giving an opportunity for new representation in Northland.”

There are few MPs I like as much as John Carter. He is a great guy, and an absolute model of an effective constituency MP. I once drove him to Palmerston North and he spent pretty much the entire trip on his cellphone ringing agencies and the like on behalf of various constituents. Northland is not the most natural seat for National, but John’s popularity turned it into a very safe seat