MPs should not be able to fight by-elections

It's a farce that sitting MPs are standing for election to parliament, Wigram MP Jim Anderton says.

He is drafting a members' bill to stop MPs from standing for parliament in by-elections.

"In Mt Albert, there are three MPs standing for parliament. They are already MPs. If they want to represent the electorate, they already can. Any list MP can open an electorate office in Mt Albert and be a good representative.

"What those MPs are really doing in using their parliamentary salaries and resources to bring in someone on a party list who has nothing to do with Mt Albert. For example, if the National candidate were to win she would be an MP just as she is now. But she would bring in a new MP who virtually no one has heard of, and who might never have visited Mt Albert in his or her life.

"MPs who contest the seat but lose bring MMP into disrepute. Since there are three MPs contesting the seat, at least two of them have to lose and maybe all three will lose. If they are going to test their mandate, they should be prepared to live with the result.

"In a general election, no MP has insurance. They have to get enough votes in their electorate or for their party, or they are out. It's a democratic farce to have different rules in a by-election.

"A simple bill that stopped a sitting MP standing in a by-election would force MPs to make a meaningful choice - if they really want to contest a seat, they should resign from parliament and contest it on the same basis as anyone else.

"MPs shouldn't fight a parliamentary by-election while they're drawing a full parliamentary salary," Jim Anderton said.

ENDS

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