Drawing laughs from across Parliament during his valedictory speech, National's Chris Finlayson paid tribute to various MPs and gave his thoughts on how Parliament should change.
He also took a dig at NZ First, telling the party: "Thank you very much for not choosing the National Party in 2017."
"I think we dodged a bullet. That decision lays the foundations for a National Government in 2020."
He called the National Party a diverse and talented bunch, and paid tribute to former party leaders and prime ministers Sir John Key and Sir Bill English.
Mr Finlayson made special mention of National MP Gerry Brownlee, praising his efforts to rebuild Christchurch after the earthquakes.
He said Mr Brownlee's work on rebuilding "a shattered city" would be regarded as the previous Government's greatest achievement.
He also said National MP Nikki Kaye "was a Minister with a brilliant future and as we know, was very unwell last year".
"But she fought that cancer and is doing a tremendous job in Opposition. She is an example to all of us of grit, of courage and of determination."
He acknowledged the Mount Cook School community, his golfing buddies, friends in the arts, those who had provided him with a "politics free zone".
Mr Finlayson, the former Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations Minister praised iwi he'd worked with saying, "These people are the ones who made the settlements happen".
Moving onto what he thought would improve Parliament, he said he thought the parliamentary term should be extended to four years, and there should be a compulsory sabbatical for MPs after 15-16 years.
"A break would allow MPs to re-enter the real world."
He said he had become "concerned about funding of political parties of non-nationals".
"That's why I think both major parties need to work together to review the rules."
Mr Finlayson said MPs "should have no say in what they are paid" and there was a "lack of practical understanding of the separation of powers" of Parliament and the justice system.
Mr Finlayson, a lawyer and Queen's Counsel, had been in Parliament since 2005 and plans to practice law once he leaves Parliament.
Under the last National Government, Mr Finlayson was Attorney General and Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations Minister.
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