0 No by-election for Epsom

There will be no Epsom by-election to replace the departed John Banks; Stuff reports:

Labour has confirmed it will not force a by-election in the Epsom electorate brought about by John Banks' resignation.
That gives the Government the required 75 per cent of votes in Parliament to leave the seat vacant until the general election on September 20.
Leader David Cunliffe said today it was not in the public interest to hold a by-election in the seat, made vacant by ACT MP John Bank's resignation, which takes effect today.
"A by-election so close to the general election would also be a waste of taxpayers' money," he said.
"I have written to the prime minister to inform him that Labour will support any motion to ensure there is no by-election in the electorate." 

John Banks announced his intention to resign as at 5pm yesterday last Sunday. The Prime Minister immediately announced that National would seek Labour's support for there not to be an expensive and futile by-election.

What took David Cunliffe almost a week to decide to support the PM's request. Did he, like a child who pulls the wings off flies, want to twist the knife a little bit more on Mr Banks? Was he trying to show the Prime Minister that he is no push-over? Did he have to travel up and down the country asking Labour Party members for their opinions? Or is he simply incapable of making decisions.

That there should be no Epsom by-election was a no-brainer. There would barely be time to hold the by-election before Parliament rises for the Big Show. It would be a waste of taxpayer funds, and a waste of party resources; and from what we've been told, the Labour Party is already worried about its resources for fighting a General Election.

David Cunliffe ought to have been able to ring the PM immediately and agree to support his motion not to hold a by-election. If he can't make simple and obvious decisions such as this one on the hoof (although he can make up policy as he goes), how is Mr Cunliffe ever going to cope with the demands of being Prime Minister, and the decisions required there?

 

0 John Banks does the honourable thing

We've just arrived home from our weekend in Christchurch. And we've arrived home to the news that John Banks' last act in public life is an honourable one; the Herald reports:

Act MP John Banks has announced his resignation from Parliament, effective from this Friday.
The Epsom MP made his decision after being found guilty last Thursday of filing a false donations declaration for the Auckland mayoral race in 2010.
"I have given my heart and soul over four decades to making a worthwhile contribution to this country," he said in a statement. "I have always endeavored to do the right thing. Consequently I am saddened at this turn of events."
Act Party leader Jamie Whyte is thought to have wanted his resignation but friends of Banks say he was likely to have resigned anyway to prevent further damage to Act and National.
The move means Banks will avoid being forced out of Parliament by a conviction.
The judge held off entering a conviction last Thursday until sentencing on August 1 because Banks' lawyer, David Jones QC, gave notice he wanted to apply for a discharge without conviction.

It is highly unlikely a by-election will be held in Epsom to fill his vacancy.
Because the vacancy falls within six months of a general election, a by-election can be avoided with the support of 75 per cent of the Parliament.

Once Act leader Jamie Whyte confirmed yesterday that he wanted Banks to resign the die was cast. Rather than being sacked from Parliament within days of the 50th Parliament dissolving for the General Election, Banks has removed himself from the scene. That is entirely the right course of action on his part.

John Banks has had a life of public service. He is many different things to many different people, but he has never been a quitter. His resignation as an MP is a sad end to his career, but we are sure that having taken a few days to reflect on Thursday's guilty verdict, he understood only too well that the writing was on the wall.

There is no triumph in Banks' decision to resign, and there will be plenty of MP's and local body election candidates saying "There by the grace of God go I". Having done the honourable thing, John Banks now has the chance to rebuild his life and his reputation away from the glare of publicity.

0 Tweet of the Day - 8 June 2014

There's speculation that John Banks may well resign as MP for Epsom in the next few days. Act has put pressure on Banks as it seeks to distance itself from the former party leader.

And in that vein, we just spotted this tweet:

We hope that John Banks will do the right thing for everyone, himself included.