National’s ‘Mr Fix-it’ calls it quits

National Party senior MP Steven Joyce has announced his retirement from Parliament, saying it had been a ‘‘blast’’ but he’d reached a ‘‘fork in the road’’.

It was brought about by his recent unsuccessful bid to become the next leader of the party, but Joyce said he did not regret his decision to stand.

And he rejected questions over whether his departure was triggered by news he would not be retaining the finance portfolio under new leader Simon Bridges.

‘‘It’s a bigger story for me personally about here we are in a time with the leadership resolved. Was I planning on being here for the whole next two-and-a-half years and beyond. And when you start to think about those things you think well actually, where am I up to and what am I doing and all those sorts of questions people do at different times in their careers.’’

Joyce confirmed he had not been offered finance by Bridges, who less than a week into his leadership was still finalising his newlook shadow Cabinet.

‘‘Simon has been very generous, he offered me a front bench position and a choice of portfolios. He didn’t offer finance and that’s all right - I’m not even sure that if I’d had finance I’d have stayed the full two-and-a-half years.’’

It would also be best for the party: ‘‘If there’s going to be a change, it’s better to be now’’.

Joyce has been the party’s mastermind campaign strategist since 2005. He entered Parliament in 2008 when National stormed back into power and led the party’s winning campaigns in 2011 and 2014. He has been a senior minister for nearly all of his 10 years in Parliament, and gained a reputation as ‘‘minister for everything’’ when former Prime Minister John Key took to sending him in to clean up messes like the Novopay debacle and to run the new super-ministry the Ministry for Business, Innovation and Employment.

He spent eights years as an effective apprentice to former Finance Minister Bill English, before becoming Finance Minister when English became Prime Minister. He has also held the heavyweight transport and infrastructure portfolios. But Joyce’s star had fallen in recent times, with his leadership bid thought by many to

"If there's going to be a change, it's better to be now." Steven Joyce

be a last-ditch attempt to assert his authority over a caucus in which some felt their ideas had been dismissed unfairly by the micromanaging party strategist.

He did not regret standing. ‘‘I think it was exactly the right thing to do; it’s something that a number of people encouraged me to do. I think it was a very good process and I got significant support. We’ll never know exactly how much, but it was positive.’’

Bridges said Joyce had made a ‘‘huge contribution’’ during a 15-year political career and was a big loss to Parliament.

‘‘In that time he has proven an exceptional minister, colleague, adviser and political strategist. As a minister, Steven has played a major role in helping create a stronger New Zealand, particularly in the aftermath of the Global Financial Crisis,’’ Bridges said. ‘‘He was someone both John Key and Bill English turned to for advice and to get things done. That meant he was given some tough tasks but he consistently rose to those challenges. And I will also continue to use him as a sounding board.’’

‘‘My plan now is to return to commercial life and seek new challenges and also to focus on being a good dad to Tommy and Amelia. I’d like to thank my wife Suzanne, colleagues, staff, party supporters, the public and all the people I have met through my work for their encouragement, support and friendship over the last 10 years in Parliament and 15 in the party.’’