Little: Goff can campaign and be an MP

Mr Little said Phil Goff would cover any of the costs of his mayoral bid, and this would not come out of his Parliamentary expenses. Photo / Supplied

Labour leader Andrew Little says he has no problem with Phil Goff remaining an MP while he is campaigning to become Auckland's next mayor.

Mr Little said Mr Goff would not use any Parliamentary funding for his campaign and said he would have to give up the Auckland Issues portfolio.

Mr Goff confirmed yesterday that he would run for the Auckland Mayoralty and said he would only resign from Parliament if he won the mayoral election next year. He would take leave from Parliament during the formal campaign period.

Mr Little told Radio New Zealand this morning that he did not know of any mayoral candidate in any area who was required to quit their job a year before the election. He had "full confidence" Mr Goff would be able to balance his responsibilities as the MP for Mt Roskill with his mayoral campaign.

As part of a caucus reshuffle, Mr Goff would lose the Auckland portfolio to avoid confusion about what role he was fulfilling when he attended Auckland-related events.

Mr Little said the MP would cover any of the costs of his mayoral bid, and this would not come out of his Parliamentary expenses. That included travel and mobile phone costs.
Christchurch Mayor Lianne Dalziel resigned as a Labour MP ahead of her mayoral campaign in 2013.

Mr Little said it was up to MPs to decide when they stood down.

"[Mr Goff] has said he will step aside and take leave from Parliament during the formal period of the campaign, that four to six-week period. I think that's the right thing to do."
If Mr Goff wins the mayoralty it would spark a by-election in the Mt Roskill seat he has held for three decades.

Mr Little said he did not expect to run as a candidate in the electorate.