新西兰英语 130 Michael Cullen to resign

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Michael Cullen was Deputy Prime Minister for nine years under the Labour government led by Helen Clark. He has announced that he will leave Parliament at the end of April. Like Helen Clark, he has been an MP since 1981. He was Finance Minister during those nine years of the Labour government. He started KiwiSaver, a savings plan for New Zealanders. Each worker and the government make payments to KiwiSaver for a pension when the worker retires.

Michael Cullen has enjoyed his time in Parliament but after Labour lost the election, he lost his interest in staying an MP. He also thinks it’s time for older people to move out of Parliament and make room for younger people.

Michael Cullen is a list MP which means that the next person on the list will take his job. That person is Damien O’Connor who used to be the MP for the West Coast but he lost this seat in the last election.

Cullen has a new job as a director on the board of New Zealand Post. It is interesting that a National government would want a Labour MP to work in a government job but Helen Clark gave the top job in New Zealand Post and KiwiRail to an ex-National PM, Jim Bolger. She knew that he would do a good job. John Key knows that Cullen is very clever and will be a good person in the job.