PM expects a ‘scrap’ in Botany byelection

THE Botany byelection will be a ‘‘scrap that will have a different dynamic’’, than New Zealanders are used to, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said.

Although she said Labour had not selected a candidate, she was not sounding optimistic about winning back the traditionally blue Auckland seat.

‘‘There is no doubt this is going to be a scrap that will have a different dynamic to it,’’ she told media.

‘‘Whether or not that will result in a shift [in the electorate] over to our direction is very unlikely.’’

Yesterday morning, former National MP JamiLee Ross resigned from the party.

This has triggered a byelection in his Botany seat, but Mr Ross said he would be standing as an independent.

He was confident he could win the seat as an independent.

‘‘I’m confident I can run on a track record of 15 years.’’

Ms Ardern said she would be having discussions with the Labour Party about ‘‘what they would like to do in this race’’.

‘‘We will have to get to that bridge when we get to it.’’

NZ First leader Winston Peters said his party had not made a decision about fielding a candidate yet.

Greens coleader James Shaw said: ‘‘We haven’t even begun to examine that.’’

Act New Zealand leader David Seymour said the party would probably field a candidate.

In last year’s election, Mr Ross won the electorate by a significant margin, winning 21,400 votes to the Labour candidate’s 8500.

It was a similar result in 2014.