Act candidate Neil Christensen has died. Photo / Supplied
Act Party candidate Neil Christensen has died.
“On behalf of the Act Party, I’d like to offer my condolences to Neil’s family and friends. Our thoughts are with you,” Act leader David Seymour said in a statement today, adding that the Port Waikato candidate was a valued member of the party.
“I wish to pay tribute to Neil, who was an infectiously charismatic and fascinating man and was New Zealand’s only registered specialist poultry veterinarian. He was a dedicated member of the Act Party who will be immensely missed.”
According to electoral law, the candidate election for Port Waikato must be cancelled if a candidate dies after the close of nominations but before polling day. The party vote will still be counted.
A by-election will then be held for Port Waikato after the general election, the date of which will be set by the Prime Minister.
This means the election result will be based on a 120-seat Parliament with 71 electorate seats and 49 list MPs, rather than 72 electorate MPs and 48 list MPs.
Port Waikato is currently held by National MP Andrew Bayly, who is likely to win the seat again. He won 38.74 per cent of the candidate vote, while 36.17 per cent of the party vote went to National despite Labour’s strong nationwide showing.
Bayly will now likely be a list MP - he is number 15 on National’s list - after the election, and if he wins the byelection, National would gain an extra MP off its list.
“When the by-election is held in Port Waikato and an electorate MP is elected, it will increase the size of Parliament to 121 seats,” chief electoral officer Karl Le Quesne said.
“For voters in the Port Waikato general electorate – if you haven’t voted yet, please go and vote. If you have already voted, you don’t need to do anything more,” he said.
”Your party vote will be counted and contribute to the overall results of the General Election. Your vote is important. You will have an opportunity to vote for a member of Parliament for the Port Waikato electorate when a by-election is held.”
Le Quesne told Newstalk ZB that the date of the by-election would have to be decided by the Prime Minister, whoever that may be come October 14.
“That’s a decision we can’t make, that’s a decision for the Prime Minister,” Le Quesne said.
“So, as soon as we know that, we will set out all the timelines.”
Prime Minister Chris Hipkins expressed his condolences to Christensen’s family and loved ones.
He said he will set a date for the by-election in consultation with other party leaders once he has considered information provided by the Electoral Commission as to possible dates.
A spokesman for PM said: “Advice from the Commission is expected shortly, meaning an update could come as early as tomorrow.”
Christensen was born in the UK and grew up in Africa. He graduated from Pretoria University in 1977 and relocated to New Zealand in 1984.
He was New Zealand’s only registered specialist poultry veterinarian, according to his biography on Act’s website.
He received the Dennis O’Meara Award in 2017 for contributions to the egg industry.
“I’ve always been interested in the political process and I reckon I keep a fair knowledge,” he said in an interview on The Platform NZ last month.
He said he was interested in “constitutional developments over various colonies or dominions that have advanced towards self-rule”, and became a politician because of growing frustration with “the effects of the bureaucracy on our economic performance”.
Bayly said he had known Christensen not just through his standing for Act but also as a poultry veterinarian.
“It’s pretty devastating, I’ve got to say,” he told the Herald.
Bayly described him as an expert in his field, “a real guru”.
He said Christensen had looked “very lively”. He would be speaking with his family shortly to convey his condolences.
Bayly wasn’t concerned about the impending byelection, saying it was not the most important issue right now.
Christensen was ranked 35 on Act’s list, meaning he was unlikely to become an MP without winning the seat of Port Waikato.
Derek Cheng is a senior journalist who started at the Herald in 2004. He has worked several stints in the press gallery and is a former deputy political editor.