Wairarapa candidate won’t move there

The Dom Post reports:

High-profile civil liberties lawyer Michael Bott will contest the Wairarapa electorate next year for Labour, having resigned as chairman of the Council for Civil Liberties. …

Despite National winning the seat in 2008 with a majority of 6758, Mr Bott, 45, said the seat was winnable.

He would not move from Upper Hutt to Wairarapa but would look to buy property there. Having grown up in Hawke’s Bay, he said he was familiar with issues in rural areas and towns.

Wairarapa is quite a parochial place, so I am not sure they will rush to vote for someone who won’t move there. equally I am not sure they will be impressed that you claim to know their issues on the basis you once lived in the Hawke’s Bay.

But Bott will be a more formidable candidate than the previous Labour candidate, a teacher whom I recall even failed to get elected to a local community board.