Mr Key said he wanted to make room for new talent and adds that he gave his role as leader of New Zealand “everything he had.”
“One of the things that I have always believed in is making room for new talent and let’s be blunt, I have taken the knife to some other people and now I am taking the knife to myself to allow others to come through and have those opportunities, and that is a healthy thing,” he said.
Mr Key has been New Zealand’s Prime Minister since 2008 and the next general election will be held before November next year. The National Party caucus will hold a meeting on December 12 to decide the new party leader and Prime Minister.
Mr Key says he is leaving on his own terms. “This is the hardest decision I’ve ever made and I don’t know what I’ll do next.” Mr Key cited family reasons for leaving, saying the job had required great sacrifices “from those who are dearest to me.”