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Dunedin North MP David Clark has reiterated he will be the Labour candidate in the new Dunedin seat in the 2020 election.
Three weeks ago, Dr Clark, the Health Minister, was demoted to the bottom of the Cabinet rankings and stripped of his associate finance minister role after admitting he had breached Alert Level 4 lockdown by visiting Doctor’s Point beach, 20km from his home.
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said she would have fired Dr Clark, but that he needed to stay in his role as health minister as the Government dealt with the Covid-19 pandemic.
At the time, Dr Clark said he had not yet thought about whether he would stand down from Parliament at the September election.
"I have been told to get on with my job and that is what I will be doing."
Yesterday, a spokesman for Dr Clark said that soon after the minister admitted his breach of Level 4 rules, he stated he would stand at the next election.
"That has not changed."
Dr Clark, who had been at his Opoho home during Level 4, returned to Wellington this week as Parliament reconvened.
He has answered parliamentary questions each day, and on Tuesday spoke several times in the Annual Review debate answering questions about issues his health portfolio, including Covid-19.