The former attorney-general says he isn’t offended by Simon Bridges’ comment
Christopher Finlayson QC is set to return to the Bar soon after he steps down from Parliament.
The former attorney-general made the revelation on the Morning Report on RNZ, where he responded to the recently released recording of a phone conversation between National Party leader Simon Bridges and now-rogue MP Jami-Lee Ross.
Discussing a cull of his caucus, Bridges said Finlayson and David Carter are obvious candidates for retirement. He also described list MP Maureen Pugh as “f---ing useless.”
“Well, but that’s true,” Finlayson said when he was asked about the comment about him.
"I've been planning to go since the last election,” he said. “For most of this year, I’ve been working on my exit so I’m hardly upset at a statement of the obvious.”
Finlayson said that he intends to make a graceful exit.
"I just a few weeks ago concluded my arrangements to go back to the Bar and I intend to leave here with class,” he said. “Class is a commodity that doesn't seem to be in conspicuous supply in politics at the moment.”
He did not say a definite date when he is leaving, but said that he expects to give a valedictory address toward the end of December. He will discuss the matter with the party now that his plans have been finalised, he said.
