Coleman calls time, sparking by-election
National Party MP and former health minister Jonathan Coleman has called time on Parliament, sparking a by-election in his Auckland seat.
Coleman, the MP for the safe National electorate of Northcote, announced on Thursday he is resigning from politics and is expected to make his valedictory speech in the next couple of weeks.
The party’s number six has been offered a significant opportunity to run a private sector health company Acurity, which owns Bowen, Royston and Wakefield private hospitals.
His resignation comes a couple of weeks after his colleague, Steven Joyce, also decided Opposition politics was not for him.
Coleman came into Parliament in 2005 and under the National-led government held ministerial portfolios including state services, defence, and sport and recreation.
In 2014 he became the first doctor in 70 years to hold the health portfolio.
Coleman rejected suggestions he was doing his electorate a ‘‘disservice’’ by triggering a byelection so soon after a general election.
Coleman holds a 6200-vote majority in the electorate and had held it by more than 10,000 votes in the past.
Coleman made his leadership ambitions in the National Party known when he put his hat in the ring for leader when former prime minister Key resigned in 2016.
He withdrew at the eleventh hour when it became clear the numbers had stacked in the favour of English deputy.
Coleman was tipped to run again for the leadership when English announced he was leaving politics earlier this year.
However he never joined the race and when new leader Simon - Key’s Bridges announced his reshuffle, Coleman was promoted to number six on the list - up from seven - and retained his health and sport and recreation portfolios.
It’s understood Coleman was lining himself up for the finance role and was disappointed after the reshuffle, prompting his decision to look for other opportunities.
Coleman had a chequered record in the health portfolio; during his three years in the role he faced intense pressure over healthcare funding and staffing shortages.
The leadership at the Ministry of Health came under huge fire during his time and he was heavily criticised for the Government’s response to mental health issues across the country and a lack of funding.
Elective surgeries
He oversaw a massive increase in the number of elective surgeries being performed in the public health system, from 56,000 to 174,000 during the time National was in power. But one thing he said he regretted not having the chance to do was to implement the social investment policies the party was working on with regards to mental health.