Mt Roskill by-election 3 December 2016

Stuff reports:

The by-election in Mt Roskill to find a replacement MP for Phil Goff has been set down for December 3, Prime Minister John Key said.

It follows the former Labour leader’s win in the Auckland mayoralty.

“On the basis that Mr Goff resigns this week it is my intention that the by-election will be held on Saturday, December 3,” Key said.

Almost a waste to elect an MP for just nine months or so. The law currently allows no by-election if within six months of a general election. Maybe it should be if within 12 months?

Key reiterated that no sitting Government had ever won a by-election in a seat it did not already hold.

“So I think we need to accept that’s a bit tricky.”

But National would select a good candidate and it believed it had a “good story there” and would “give it a good go”.

Labour has already chosen Michael Wood as its candidate, and the Greens have announced they will not stand to lessen the chance of National winning the seat.

I look forward to Michael Wood campaigning on Labour’s Chinese surnames policy.