Labour’s Webb laments Green candidacy
Labour Christchurch Central candidate Duncan Webb is lamenting a lost opportunity as his party’s political ally searches for a contender to run against him.
The Greens’ Christchurch Central nominee Dora Langsbury withdrew her candidacy this month after work commitments became too much.
The party is looking for a replacement. Canterbury Green MP Eugenie Sage said someone had put their name forward, but the formal selection process had not started.
Christchurch Central has long been a Labour stronghold but evolved into a battleground the last two elections, where National MP Nicky Wagner prevailed. Both times Green candidate David Moorhouse’s share of the vote was more than Wagner’s majority.
‘‘It would have made this race a lot easier if the Greens hadn’t stood,’’ Webb said.
‘‘Having said that, they’re an independent political party, they have seen it as in their interests to stand a candidate. But I just hope that the Green members and the Green supporters out there, when they come to vote, remember that a vote for their Green candidate is essentially a vote for Nicky Wagner.’’
Labour and the Greens signed a memorandum of understanding last year pledging to work together to change the government.
The document refers to a possible joint campaign ‘‘to advance our purpose’’ but horse-trading on candidacies to engineer electorate wins would be risky.
National has always stood a candidate in Epsom, despite the party’s cosy relationship with ACT in the electorate.
‘‘We’re an independent party and we aim to stand a candidate to promote particularly the party vote,’’ Sage said.
‘‘Christchurch Central . . . is a very important electorate. It’s the centre of Christchurch. We want a good candidate and a good representative.’’
Webb said he respected the Greens’ pursuit of party votes, but it would mean some cannibalisation among the Left’s support base.
‘‘If there’s a green leaf in the candidate column, it will get some votes, and that’s unfortunate.’’
Wagner said Langsbury had strong environmental and central Christchurch credentials. She stood as an independent in the Central ward in Christchurch’s local body elections last year.
‘‘I’m sorry that she’s not going to be standing [but] I think it’s an opportunity for people to vote Bluegreen[in support of National’s advisory group on environmental issues].’’
The election is on September 23. Candidate nominations close on August 29.