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National MP Pansy Wong resigns, triggering by-election in Botany next year

National MP Pansy Wong resigns, triggering by-election in Botany next year

National MP Pansy Wong has announced her resignation from Parliament after struggling to refute allegations from the Labour Party on her and her husband's use of MP's international travel allowances.

The resignation will mean a by-election in Wong's Botany electorate next year. Her resignation will be effective from January 17, although she said she would not receive any salary or personal entitlements from December 20 through to the effective day.

Prime Minister John Key later confirmed the by-election would be on March 5, 2011.

(Updates with by-election date.)

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12 Comments

This is shame as Pansy was a good MP and her expense issue was not serious.  Shows how petty our politics has become.

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Just in the wong place at the wong time

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pdk you should know two wongs don't make a right

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GG - I think there is a lot more to this story that we will never hear about.  Why would she resign if she was only ordered to pay back a few hundred dollars.  I think she was pushed by the National hierarchy because they knew that there was a lot more scandal to come out of any further investigations.  If she "resigns" then the problem is solved.

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No,  MPs must uphold the highest standards for public office.........so must she go.

regards

 

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Darn we've just lost another one of our asian role models - who 's left; Raybon Khan and that asian actress on Shortland street....  nooice!

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Good point Andy. You may be right.

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John should just call a general election and save us the expense of yet another bi election.

Whats the count now?

Helen went first then Cullen, Mana and know Wong plus a few list reshufles.

What has this lot cost us? Time for some userpays here, these people are employed for a 3 year term, perhaps they should pay for the bi-election or at the least loss there perks. 

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She might now start focussing on buying dairy farms

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I wouldn't be the least surprised if she popped up as the replacement for May Wang as the NZ face of UBNZ/Natural Dairy..

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!

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vic,  why should they?

They are New Zealand citizens and should face the law like any other New Zealander. Let the law decides - not the media. Pansy Wong did some excellent work too for NZ.

As for May Wang (agents reporting), I am sorry to say her days are numbered for the farmland deal. All the regulators got to do now is throw the book at her or are they that stupid to continue their BS spin. One has to ask the question why did the farms failed? If one ends up borrowing too much on speculated prices, you eventually get AIDS (Acute Income Deficiency Syndrome) when costs to fund debt increases.

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