This will be the final ‘Just Peachey’. I have announced that I will not be a candidate for Tamaki in next month’s General Election. I have done this because I cannot get sufficient reassurance from the medical people, who look after me, that I can commit to serving a full three year term. In such circumstances I do not want to put the country at the risk of the cost of a by-election or cause any disruption to what I hope will still be the government.

So it is time for me to quietly withdraw. I will continue to function as the Member of Parliament for Tamaki until Election night but will not be doing anything political.

‘Just Peachey’ has been a great pleasure. I have enjoyed the banter, the debate and the good humour from what has become quite a long list of regular respondents.

Thank you, I have enjoyed it.