The battle for Botany is heating up
Jami-Lee Ross will pit his 15-year record in public life against solid National Party support in the byelection he triggered when he resigned as Botany MP.
Ross quit yesterday around the same time as the National Party caucus unanimously voted to expel him over his conduct, and his allegations against his leader Simon Bridges.
‘‘I believe I can represent Botany – I can speak out more on their behalf as an Independent,’’ Ross told media in Parliament’s foyer.
‘‘My community will make a decision whether they want a backbencher who will just sit in the back and nod their head – or someone who has stood up for them.’’
That’s the by-election challenge in Auckland’s eastern suburbs, which have stayed true blue through a disproportionate share of political turmoil.
Ross himself entered Parliament at the age of 25, in a 2011 byelection sparked by the resignation of Pansy Wong over misuse of parliamentary travel privileges.
In neighbouring Pakuranga, veteran National MP Maurice Williamson resigned his ministerial portfolios in May 2014 and stepped down at the end of the term, over involvement in a police investigation.
Ross represented Howick ward on the Manukau City Council, and then briefly on the Auckland Council before stepping into national politics.
‘‘There will be a lot of disappointed people around here,’’ said a local observer who didn’t want to be named.
Ross is regarded by some as a hard-working MP who has built a strong Botany electorate machine and raised funds for the party as a whole.
The question is, will that stand up in a electorate where it was said ‘‘National could run a wheelie bin and win’’.
Ross had made himself a key player in eastern suburbs politics, campaign-managing a rightleaning ticket to contest the 2016 Howick Local Board election.
That didn’t end well, when his wife Lucy Schwaner was reelected for a third term, but resigned three weeks later after being out-manouevred for the chairmanship.
Ross is expected to run the campaign of his life.
He enjoyed a 12,938-vote majority in 2017, with National winning 61 per cent of the party vote in Botany.
But one local voter spoken to by Stuff doubted he’d back Ross.
‘‘It depends on who the other candidate is from National, because I am a National supporter – most likely no,’’ said Winston, who declined to give his last name.
‘‘I don’t think it is a good thing, it’s a waste of our taxpayers’ money.’’
Names are already being floated as potential National candidates, or rivals.
Damian Light, briefly leader of UnitedFuture, is keeping open the chance of a run.
The timing of a by-election is not yet known.
‘‘I believe I can represent Botany – I can speak out more on their behalf as an Independent.’’ Jami-Lee Ross