<\/p>\n
\nAndrew Ketels joined David Seymour’s office in 2017.
\nPhoto: RNZ \/ Marika Khabazi\n<\/p>\n
The ACT Party’s chief of staff has announced his resignation, after more than a decade in Parliament.<\/p>\n
In a LinkedIn post, Andrew Ketels said he felt “very fortunate” to have worked at Parliament for 12 years, for five ministers, and as ACT’s chief of staff for five years.<\/p>\n
“There really is no place like it, but I’m looking forward to making a bit more time for my two boys,” he said.<\/p>\n
Ketels said he was “extremely proud” of how far the party had come over the last eight years, “from a party struggling to make the 6pm news and polling below 1% to a caucus of 11 MPs and sitting at the Cabinet table”.<\/p>\n
Ketels said he would be finishing up this month “to move on to my next challenge”.<\/p>\n
Prior to joining David Seymour’s office in 2017, Ketels had worked for National MPs Louise Upston and Maggie Barry.<\/p>\n
Ketels is not the only party chief of staff to step down this year, after the Greens’ Eliza Prestidge-Oldfield resigned in September<\/a>.<\/p>\n She was replaced by former Green MP Kevin Hague, who started in the role<\/a> last month.<\/p>\n