Shock as New Zealand PM resigns after 8 years in office
Quote:
John Key's eight-year domination of New Zealand politics has been brought to an abrupt end, and within a week the country will have a new prime minister - almost certainly Key's deputy Bill English.
The Prime Minister's resignation, with his party's fortunes still riding high, has opened the way for the craggy Dipton farmer with a tight grip on the nation's books to succeed him - with Key's full backing.
English, the finance minister, has known since September of Key's intention to stand down, giving him time to plan but leaving potential rivals less than a week to do the numbers ahead of the December 12 ballot.