New Zealand People Party to spice up Mt Albert by-election, announces candidate

Mt Albert electorate will have some more choices in the forthcoming by-election in February next year with New Zealand People Party (NZPP) also announcing their candidate.

NZPP has shortlisted Vin Tomar, a registered early childhood teacher and real estate agent and a practising licensed immigration adviser as their candidate in the by-election necessitated by Labour's David Shearer's departure overseas to top UN job.

NZPP is country's only political party exclusively for immigrant Indians and Asians, formed earlier in August this year with the main focus on the law and order issue.

Roshan Nauhriya, the founder President of the Party, who is currently overseas confirmed the news on the phone and reiterated that "we are committed to building our party and fight every by-election before the next year's general election." 

Given the fact that Mt Albert, like Mt Roskill, is also a diverse electorate with large numbers of Indian and Asian immigrant residents, it is an expectation within the Party that it will gain significant traction in the by-election.

Though, Mt Roskill was not a big success in that endeavour but Mr Nauhria says these by-elections are helping the party build the required momentumfor the 2017 general elections.

Earlier National Party had chosen to give Mt Albert by-election a miss citing reasons of eyeing on general elections ahead in late 2017 and the fact that Mt Albert was a "Labour-safe" seat anyways.

Labour's have strongly criticised this National tactic by saying that the party was "running-scared" and the Prime Minister Bill English was "gutless."

Labour deputy leader Annette King described English's decision as "gutless", saying her party wanted to have a proper discussion in Mt Albert about the issues that mattered to voters.

"English is running scared from his first test as a leader. He clearly doesn't want another bloody nose after the Mt Roskill defeat.

Jacinda Adern, the Labour Party List MP for Central Auckland has already put her name forward to stand for the Party.

The Green Party with whom the Labour party have the understanding to work together towards next general elections in 2017 is also to stand a candidate for the by-election for the reasons that it wants to give options to Mt Albert electorate.

Green Party co-leader Metiria Turei said the party was committed to standing a candidate in Mt Albert, despite the likelihood of a Labour win.

Interestingly, Vin Tomar, the NZPP's candidate in Mt Albert by-election was earlier a member of Green Party and had worked in the grass root campaigning of the Party from April to November this year.

Apparently, Mr Tomar was disillusioned from Green Party's "memorandum of understanding' with the Labour Party which had resulted in some intra-party changes which he did not want to comment upon and had driven him to resign from the Party and look for other alternative options.

On being asked that what was his promise to the electorate of Mt Albert, Mr Tomar asserted that," I will be available for Mt.Albert community 24 by7."

"I am local and live in Mt Albert suburb.

I have personal connections with community as a teacher and one of my agendas will be that [if I am elected] I will not resign as MP for my personal reasons or opportunity like Labours MPs have been doing," Mr Tomar further asserted.

Mr Tomar sought to emphasise his community connection with the Mt Albert community through his previous role of an early childhood teacher where he served in the community and got rave reviews from the parents and the community members.

He appeared confident of making the connect with the community before voting in February.

Mindful of the fact that Mt Albert was a traditional Labour seat and the National Party had given a miss to contest the by-election, Mr Tomar reserved his tirade against the Labour Party for leaving the seat almost at their will.

" Considering what the Labour party’s MPs are doing for their personal reasons, I am fully confident that people of Mt Albert electorate would choose someone who is only committed to them," Mr Tomar said.

The Electoral Commission said overseas voting would start on February 8, with advance voting beginning on February 13.