National’s Shane Reti retiring from politics at the election

Tuesday, 10 March 2026

Former Health Minister and deputy National leader Shane Reti will stand down at the election.

Reti was deputy leader under Judith Collins and served as Health Minister at the start of this Government, before being demoted in January of 2025.

He is currently the Minister of Statistics, Pacific Peoples’, and Science, and the MP for Whangārei.

Reti told The Post it would be up to the prime minister whether he would stay as a Cabinet minister until the election.

He said no one had challenged him for the nomination for Whangārei.

“I want to thank the people of Whangārei for the great privilege of serving them and to my partner and family for their understanding and unconditional contribution to this career,” Reti said in a statement.

“I have always felt valued by the National Party and for that I thank the Prime Minister, local party executive, and my colleagues and staff in Wellington and Whangārei offices for their support over many years as Whangārei MP, Deputy Leader of the National Party, Interim leader of the National Party and as a Minister.”

“Highlights include progressing the four lanes to Whangārei and advancing policies that as Minister of Health expanded breast cancer screening for 70–74-year-old NZ women and establishing a third medical school at Waikato.

“Reshaping the science and technology sector to look more like other small advanced economies that improves benefits to taxpayers has been a privilege – especially amalgamating the seven Crown Research Institutes into three Public Research Organisations.”

Reti’s announced departure will give more impetus for Prime Minister Christopher Luxon’s long-awaited Cabinet reshuffle, also necessitated by the imminent exit of Judith Collins.