Departing MP takes swipe at Nat on his way
Labour list MP Raymond Huo is retiring from politics at this election, and has put some of the blame on senior National MP Nick Smith.
“Each time I saw Nick Smith’s face, it’s a reminder that it’s about time for me to retire,” he told the Herald.
In a Labour Party statement yesterday, Huo said he was leaving to spend more time with his family.
“I had submitted my nomination form for this election within Labour’s internal timeframe but the subsequent lockdown enabled me to spend more time with my family and reflect on my political career.”
But he further elaborated when speaking to the Herald, saying run-ins with Smith on the justice committee played a part in his decision too.
Huo, who entered Parliament in 2008, was recently the chair of the justice committee. In
March, Smith took his concerns about China expert Anne-Marie Brady being barred from presenting to the media her views on foreign interference in elections.
Huo said this was a procedural decision and Brady had not submitted her application to present to the committee in time.
Smith had accused Hou of “blocking New Zealand’s leading academic on the issue of foreign interference in one’s democracy”.
Hou said: “My identity as a ‘Chinese-born’ member of Parliament was brought into the picture.”
He was highly critical of Smith’s behaviour during this period.
Hou, who said he gave “100 per cent” as an MP, joins a growing list of MPs retiring at the election — many of whom are National members.
He said that over recent weeks, he has spoken to his friends, his team, supporters and the community about his intention to retire from the House.
“One of the highlights of my parliamentary career was working on the establishment of the New Zealand Chinese Language Week which has been running since 2014.”
Huo came to New Zealand from Beijing in 1994 and has had various career paths, including as a reporter for the New Zealand Herald and being a partner at Shieff Angland Lawyers.
He served two terms as a list MP between 2008-2014, before returning to Parliament in 2017.