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| New Zealand Prime Minister John Key in surprise resignation | |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| John Key has announced that he will resign as prime minister of New Zealand, after eight years in the job. | John Key has announced that he will resign as prime minister of New Zealand, after eight years in the job. |
| Mr Key called it "the hardest decision I've ever made," adding "I don't know what I'll do next." | Mr Key called it "the hardest decision I've ever made," adding "I don't know what I'll do next." |
| Deputy PM Bill English is likely to take over until the National Party holds a caucus to choose a new PM. | |
| Mr Key, a popular leader, is stepping down at the request of his wife Bronagh, the New Zealand Herald reports. | |
| He won a third term for the National Party at elections in September 2014. | He won a third term for the National Party at elections in September 2014. |
| 'Nothing left' | |
| Mr Key made the announcement during his weekly press conference and cited family reasons for the surprise decision. He set a date of 12 December for the formal resignation. | Mr Key made the announcement during his weekly press conference and cited family reasons for the surprise decision. He set a date of 12 December for the formal resignation. |
| He said the job required great sacrifices "from those who are dearest to me". He said his children had coped with "an extraordinary level of intrusion". | He said the job required great sacrifices "from those who are dearest to me". He said his children had coped with "an extraordinary level of intrusion". |
| "All I can say is that I gave it everything I had. I have left nothing in the tank." | "All I can say is that I gave it everything I had. I have left nothing in the tank." |
| My Key, who was formerly at Merrill Lynch as a foreign exchange dealer, ended nine years of Labour Party rule in 2008 when he ousted PM Helen Clark. | |
| Labour leader Andrew Little tweeted: "John Key has served New Zealand generously and with dedication. I wish him and his family the best for the future." | |
| Green Party co-leader Meteria Turei also wished him well. | |
| "I fought every day against John's politics but always supported his right to be a dad and a husband first," she tweeted. |