Will there be a Manukau East by-election?
Kate Shuttleworth at NZ Herald reports:
manukau East Labour MP Ross Robertson has announced he will retire from parliament.
He said today he will stand for the Otara/papatoetoe local board election this year.
Mr Robertson has been in Parliament for 26 years.
“It is time to have a new MP for manukau east. i think I can be more effective in local government,” he said.
“It is not possible to be on a local board and be an MP, so I will retire from Parliament.
But when? Labour strongly criticised a National MP who did not resign from his city council seat once he was elected. So of course I expect Labour will demand Ross resign his seat if he is elected to the Otara/Papatoetoe seat in October.