The strange case of David Lee

Stuff reports:

A Wellington City councillor will be campaigning in Christchurch because he’s standing for Parliament. 

Southern ward councillor David Lee will be the Green Party candidate for Ilam, the seat currently held by National’s Gerry Brownlee.

Lee is not standing on the party list, meaning he will only become an MP in the unlikely event he defeats Brownlee, the politician he calls his mentor.

So why isn’t he standing in a Wellington seat?

He said he could still do his councillor job from Christchurch via phone and email.

“I do very little face-to face interaction, so I can still do my job as long as I have technology.”

Reminds me of the guy elected to Capital and Coast DHB who lived in Auckland!

“This is my opportunity to give back to the Greens and push up the party vote up in an electorate that requires an alternative voice for voters and not just a soundpiece for National.”

Was there not a single other Green Party member in Christchurch willing to stand in Ilam?

Despite being a Green Party member for four years, blue blood runs in his veins.

The former Young Nat and election campaigner for Murray McCully describes himself as a born-again green who was “very blue with a green halo”.

“Gerry Brownlee is my mentor.”

Lee wanted to get his name out there for the 2020 election, when he planned to go “hard out” to win the Ilam electorate.

So in fact his long term commitment is to Ilam, not Wellington.

Although he was looking at buying a residential property in Ilam, he  did not intend to move there.

If successful at winning the seat, he would still live in Wellington, he said.

“MPs are expected to live in Wellington.”

Really?