Otaki for the taking
Labour is already planning its assault on the
O¯ taki electorate at next year’s general election, hoping to claw the seat back from National’s hands, where it has been for more than a decade.
But it will do it with a new candidate, as its one from the last election says he is keeping his political ambitions closer to home.
O¯ taki, which runs from Paraparaumu to the south of Foxton, has never been firmly in the grip of one party, switching between Labour and National since the 1940s.
The seat has been held by National MP Nathan Guy since 2008, when he won it from Labour’s Darren Hughes, but Guy announced recently he will not seek re-election in 2020.
Labour’s O¯ taki committee chairman Bruce Taylor said nominations to be the party’s candidate were open, with a selection set to be made by Christmas. Election planning started in 2018, but not having a sitting MP to battle changed the landscape, he said.
‘‘All bets are off now.’’ One person not putting his name forward is Rob Mccann, who ran for Labour there at the past two elections, while declining to go on the party list both times.
He is running for a place on Ka¯piti Coast District Council in the local body elections and said he would not stand in O¯ taki.
‘‘It’s the best opportunity for Labour to take back the seat,’’ he said. He encouraged people to stand, saying the area needed a member of Parliament who would represent the interests of everyone.
He was still involved with the party, being the first Labourendorsed candidate for the Ka¯ piti council.
Taylor said Mccann had been a strong candidate, pushing the party vote up 10 per cent.