Labour ready if Carter goes early

Chris Carter. Photo / Mark Mitchell

The Labour Party will be ready to fight a byelection in the West Auckland seat of Te Atatu next year if incumbent MP Chris Carter quits before the end of the parliamentary term.

But at least the party no longer has to worry about standing against Mr Carter in the general election after his preferred successor, Labour MP Phil Twyford, won the party's nomination over seven others at the weekend.

Party president Andrew Little said he was not planning for a byelection, but it was a possibility.

"If that happens, we'll be ready for it."

He described the party coffers as "very healthy".

"An electorate like Te Atatu we take very seriously, so whatever campaign we run there - whether for a byelection or a general election - it will be well supported and well resourced."

Mr Carter said yesterday he would honour his word and not stand against the party in the Te Atatu seat, because Mr Twyford had won selection.

But he continues to leave the door to a byelection open by saying he could leave early if a good job offer came up.

If a byelection eventuated, it would be the fourth this term. Labour retained Mt Albert and Mana, and National is expected to easily hold on to Botany in March.

Although Mr Carter won Te Atatu last year with a 5298 majority, National won the party vote by 12 votes.

Mr Little said the damage over Mr Carter's expulsion would need to be repaired, but another factor was the friction between the Te Atatu local electorate committee and Labour's ruling council.

The committee wrote to the council last month, criticising it for expelling Mr Carter and destroying the trust and faith of the committee in the party leadership.

Mr Little said he had responded to the committee and challenged some of the points.

"But I concluded by saying that we're all driven by the founding values of the party, and irrespective of our personal differences, we're all committed to that.

"I detect a willingness to put those issues behind us."

Mr Twyford, who has the support of the committee, agreed.

"I think that the selection is a great moment to draw a line in the sand and move on.

"It's a seat we're going to have to fight to win. The majority of a well-established MP doesn't necessarily pass to a new candidate."

National MP Tau Henare, who lost in Te Atatu in 2002, 2005 and 2008, said he would "absolutely" be ready to fight a byelection. But he did not think Mr Carter would leave early.

"Chris is a bit more on to it than just giving the middle finger to the Labour Party [by forcing a byelection].

"If I'm lucky enough to be selected, I'll look forward to running against Twyford."

Mr Twyford said he was "immensely pleased" to be selected and would start door-knocking soon.