Laban leaves

Stuff reports:

A by-election is looming after Labour MP Luamanuvao Winnie Laban announced today she is leaving Parliament for a new career.

The MP told caucus colleagues this morning she would be stepping down to take up the role of Assistant Vice Chancellor Pasifika at Victoria University.

Labour leader confirmed that Ms Laban's departure would mean a by-election in her safe Labour seat. Ms Laban won in 2008 with a 6155-strong majority.

My thoughts:

  1. Congrats to Winnie on the job.
  2. Labour will be hugely relieved she is an electorate MP, not a list MP.
  3. Labour will also be relieved that it is a safe seat for them – they won the electorate vote by and the party vote by 2,508 and electorate vote by 6,155
  4. Winnie is doing the right thing by not doing a Maharey or an Anderton and doing two jobs for a year.
  5. This will be the first parliamentary term to have (at least) two by-elections since the 1990 to 1993 Parliament which had three (, Wilde, Peters).
  6. Most interest will be on whom Labour selects.

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