National MP Jacqui Dean will retire from Parliament at the next election.
Dean, who represents the South Island electorate of Waitaki in Parliament, has been an MP since 2005 and has held the assistant Speaker role since the last election.
She's also her party's spokesperson for Conservation and was previously a Minister of Commerce and Consumer Affairs under Sir Bill English.
"The reality is that I've spent the past 25 years in public service - first in local government and then as a Member of Parliament," Dean said in a statement confirming her retirement. "It's a long time by anyone's standards so now feels like the right time to signal my intention to move on."
National leader Christopher Luxon thanked Dean on Friday.
"Jacqui has served Waitaki, New Zealanders and the National Party for 17 years and has done a tremendous job in that time," he said.
"As MP for one of the largest geographic electorates, Jacqui has spent an immense amount of time representing all corners of her electorate and giving her constituents a voice in Wellington."
Speaking to the Otago Daily Times, Dean said she spent her tenure in Parliament fighting for the South, but believes next year is the right time to move on.
"National is once again united and focused on winning the next election, so I feel it is exactly the right time to step aside and make space for some new blood to come in," Dean said.
"There is a lot to be said for experience, but I also have great faith that whoever is selected as their candidate by the Waitaki electorate will have all the qualities that they are looking for."
Dean found herself at the centre of internal party political ructions last November when then-leader Judith Collins demoted rival Simon Bridges on the basis of an allegation of serious misconduct towards him from a female caucus member.
It turned out that MP was Dean, who complained five years ago about a comment Bridges made. She said in November it was not her intention for "past issues to be thrust into the spotlight as they were" and that an apology was made by Bridges at the time, which he then reiterated last year.
"I took no pleasure in being caught up in what was a political power-play that took attention away from the important issues of the day."
That ordeal led to a no-confidence vote in Collins and to Luxon taking charge.
