Selected after just four days

The Herald reports:

Labour has selected Palmerston North Deputy Mayor Tangi Utikere for the electorate soon to be vacated by former Minister Iain Lee-Galloway.

The selection was made after just four days, as Lee-Galloway announced he would be stepping down as an MP at the election, after he was sacked by Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern.

That’s an incredibly quick selection. National generally doesn’t even close nominations until seven days after they open to give people time to nominate and decide. And then you have pre-selection interviews, meet the candidate meetings and then selection.