Labour leader Phil Goff's chief press secretary Kris Faafoi says he is considering standing in the Mana by-election.Labour MP Winnie Laban announced earlier this week she would be quitting Parliament to take up the role of assistant vice-chancellor Pasifi
Labour leader Phil Goff's chief press secretary Kris Faafoi says he is considering standing in the Mana by-election.
Labour MP Winnie Laban announced earlier this week she would be quitting Parliament to take up the role of assistant vice-chancellor Pasifika at Victoria University.
Her departure will force a by-election in the Mana electorate which is regarded as a safe Labour seat.
Ms Laban has held the seat since 2002.
Mr Faafoi said this morning people had approached him about standing in Mana since Ms Laban announced she was leaving.
"I haven't really given it any consideration," he told NZPA.
Mr Faafoi, of Tokelauan heritage, is a former television political reporter.
Former Progressive Party Otaki candidate Josie Pagani's name had also been mentioned, Mr Faafoi said.
Ms Pagani was a former communications manager at NZAID and parliamentary press secretary.
The Government has yet to set a date for the by-election but it was expected to be early to mid November.
National list MP Hekia Parata, who contested the seat against Ms Laban in 2008, told NZPA she was going to seek the nomination for her party.
Mr Goff has said he did not expect the by-election to be a pushover.
"We'll be going all out to win and we're expecting it to be really close."
Ms Laban held the seat in the last election with a majority of more than 6000 votes but Labour knows National is more popular now than it was then, and Ms Parata has a lot more experience now than she did in 2008.
