Standing for by-elections while sitting in Parliament

Colin Espiner raises some interesting points in The Press. He doesn't particularly like list MPs standing for seats in a by-election, as if successful the new MP would be a list MP from anywhere in the country - or in the Green's case, from Mt Albert!

In fact the new MP for Mt Albert will be David Shearer or a current list MP. Had Judith Tizard not been next on the Labour list the new MP for Mt Albert would already be a parliamentarian and the by-election would just transfer the status of that MP and add another party person in Parliament. So Mt Albert voters would in effect be deciding on the party that gets that extra MP in parliament without being told on the voting papers who that person is.

If Green MP Russell Norman is successful, the new Green list MP, David Clendon, will be one that lives in Mt Albert but will not be the constituent MP. Norman, who does not live in Mt Albert, will be the constituent MP.