It's Labour vs Greens in Mt Albert as Genter confirms candidacy

Green list MP Julie Anne Genter has confirmed she will stand for the party in the Mt Albert February 25 byelection, triggered after David Shearer left his war-torn Labour Party career for the relative calm of South Sudan.

The transplanted American will take on Labour list MP Jacinda Ardern.

Just before Christmas, commentator Simon Wilson told NBR Radio that Prime Minister Bill English's decision to not put up a candidate in could be been a cunning bit of political strategy, throwing the two main opposition parties into conflict.

An alternative take: After National received something of a black eye in the Mt Roskill by-election, where its vote sank to a paltry 4600, the new prime minister decided to take the conservative route by sitting out the Mt Albert contest – and he's only lucked into "strategic master" title. And, in any case, the tone of the Labour vs Green campaign has yet to be set. Ms Adern and Ms Genter are always civil but it remains to be seen whether their proxies will get into a brawl.

National won the list vote in both Mt Roskill and Mt Albert at the general election but its margin of victory in Mt Albert was narrower, and the Greens' list vote, at near 8000, was far stronger in David Shearer's seat — indicating a Labour candidate would easily carry the electorate if the Greens did not put up a candidate (as was the case in the Mt Albert by-election).

Mt Albert 2014 list vote

• National: 14,359
• Labour: 10,823
• Greens: 8,005
• NZ First: 1512
• Conservative: 719
• Internet Mana: 603
• ACT: 356
• Maori Party: 178
• United Future: 57

Mt Albert 2014 candidate vote

• David Shearer (Labour):  20,970
• Melissa Lee (National): 10,314
• Jennette Elley (Green): 3152

(No other candidate above 600)

Mt Roskill by-election 2016

• Michael Wood (Labour): 11,170
• Parmjeet Parmar (National): 4652 (27.6%)
• Roshan Nauhria (People's Party): 709
• No Green or NZ First candidates

Total votes including minor candidates: 16,857

Mt Roskill 2014 candidate vote

• Phil Goff (Labour): 18,637
• Parmjeet Parmar (National): 10,546 (31.6%)
• Barry Coates (Green): 1682
• Mahesh Bindra (NZ First): 786

Total votes including minor candidates: 33,933

Mt Roskill 2014 list vote

• National: 14,275
• Labour: 12,086
• Green: 3279
• NZ First: 1805
• Conservative: 1240