The following is a brief timeline of events in Michael Cullen's political career.
1974 - Michael Cullen joins the Labour Party
1981 - Cullen is elected MP for the St Kilda electorate.
1984 - Labour becomes government after winning the general election and Cullen becomes Senior Whip.
1987 - Labour is re-elected and Cullen is made Associate Minister of Finance and Minister of Social Welfare.
1990 - Labour loses the election and Cullen becomes the Opposition spokesman for social welfare.
1991 - Cullen replaces David Caygill as the Labour Party's finance spokesman.
1996 - Cullen assumes the party's deputy leader position.
1999 - Labour wins the general election and Cullen becomes Minister of Finance.
2002 - Jim Anderton steps down as Deputy Prime Minister and Cullen takes over the role.
2008 - Labour is defeated in the general election. Cullen announces his resignation as deputy leader of the party.
2009 - Cullen announces his retirement from politics to take up a position on the board of New Zealand Post.
