News Jaya

Dunedin North is another Ohariu

With ACTs David Garrett resigning from Parliament, Hilary Calvert enters Parliament. She contested Dunedin North at the last election, which means that four candidates who contested Dunedin North at the last election will be sitting in Parliament after recess: Pete Hodgson, Michael Woodhouse, Metiria Tuei and Calvert.

The only other electorate like this is Ohariu. Four current MPs also contested Ohariu in 2008: Peter Dunne, Charles Chauvel, Gareth Hughes and Katrina Shanks. It would have been five had Heather Roy not shifted to contest Wellington Central.

Labour Party members get two votes out of seven to select a candidate for Dunedin North. And today they did so. As expected David Clark won and will be the new MP for Dunedin North after the election. His brother Ben is likely to be Labour's North Shore candidate.

As with Kris Fa’afoi, the candidate that Goffice, unions, and the local MP wanted prevailed. But unlike Fa'afoi, at least Clark appeared to have a history of involvement in the electorate.

I’m wondering why local party members in various electorates that are not associated with unions don’t have more of a say as to who their candidate is.