John Key was a ‘very disappointing' Prime Minister.

That's the report card from Tauranga's Peter Malcolm, spokesperson for the income equality lobbyist group, Closing the Gap.

'There will be some who think he's been a great Prime Minister,” says Peter Malcom.

'But there will be many very disappointed that such a capable leader, who could have taken the country with him, chose to avoid the difficult problems of endemic inequality and poverty in New Zealand.”

He says over the last eight years, under Key's stewardship, income for those-in-need has stagnated or gone backwards in real terms, whereas those in the top percentiles of income have seen significant increases.

Exacerbating this inequality, the housing market is totally out of control, with affordable housing for beneficiaries and those on lower incomes now non-existent.

'There are now significant numbers of families who cannot afford to go to their GPs in times of need. Public hospital elective surgery lists are getting longer and many can't afford the health insurance which would ensure surgery when needed.”

Closing the Gap also points to rising cost of power, the rising cost of day to day living for those in need is getting worse and child poverty is as bad.

'Income inequality has seriously damaging effects on our society and the lower paid are increasingly having to bear an unfair proportion of the costs.

'After three terms it's hardly something to be proud of that, in his own words, things have remained pretty much the same for the last 20 years.”

Closing the Gap hopes successive Prime Ministers recognise they are responsible for all the people in New Zealand and not just a wealthy few.