The door is open to Darren Hughes returning to Parliament as a Labour MP, though it would not be at the next election.
Police have announced they are not laying charges against Mr Hughes following an investigation into a sexual complaint against him lodged by an 18-year-old man earlier this year.
The former list MP resigned in March, days after admitting he was under investigation following the late night incident.
Labour leader Phil Goff is out of the country and his deputy, Annette King, was not commenting on Wednesday, however senior Labour MP Trevor Mallard said that when Mr Hughes was ready he could come back into the party's caucus.
Labour has already set its list and candidates for this year's election, so any return for the next parliamentary term would not be possible.
Maori Party co-leader, Tariana Turia, says she always believed Darren Hughes when he said he'd done nothing wrong and the former MP absolutely deserves a second chance.
She described him as one of the most outstanding MPs she had met since she had been in Parliament, and Mr Mallard said Mr Hughes is exceptionally talented and is departure had been a loss to the Labour Party.
Mr Hughes says his name has been cleared and he will take time to consider his plans for the next phase of his life.
Former Labour MP John Tamahere says it beggars belief that the police took so long to decide not to lay charges against Mr Hughes.
Mr Tamihere told Nine to Noon it should not have taken the police more than two months to conclude that the allegations did not reach the evidential threshold required to bring charges.
He says rather than resigning, Mr Hughes could have been stood down from Parliament, which might have sped up the police inquiry.
