Two more retirements

The Herald reports:

National MPs Paul Hutchison and Cam Calder will not seek re-election in next year’s election.

Dr Hutchison is the MP for Port Waikato and was first elected in 1999.

Dr Calder is a list MP who has stood in Manurewa. He was first elected in 2008.

Their announcement today means four National MPs have decided to bow out of politics.

Internal Affairs Minister and Napier MP Chris Tremain and West Coast based list MP Chris Auchinvole have said they will not seek re-election.

Sad to see Cam and Hutch retire on a personal level – two genuinely nice people, who I doubt have any enemies in politics. Cam is 61 and Hutch 66, so their retirements are not huge surprises.

I worked with Hutch in opposition a bit. He was an obstetrician and gynecologist before he became an MP, and as a health spokesperson he had an affinity for the portfolio. I would help him put his powerpoint presentations together and he would always find some reason to need two or three photos of sperm, ovaries, fertilisation etc. I would get worried that Parliamentary Service would get worried about the nature of some of the images I was putting through the scanner!

While sad to see them both retire on the personal level, renewal is a constant need for political parties. National needs to keep rejuvenating both Cabinet and Caucus to maximise its chances of further terms.