A by-election is coming up at the end of the month in the New Zealand electorate of Christchurch East.
The seat has been safe Labour for most of the last century, but things have changed in the area. At the last election, Labour was beaten by National in the party vote, and the area has seen a drop of more than 17% in its population since the 2006 census, in part due to the long-term effects of the Christchurch earthquake of 2011.
The sitting MP, Lianne Dalziel, has retired after 23 years in the Parliament after being elected Mayor of Christchurch. The seat is likely to stay with Labour, but the absence of a personal vote for a Labour MP might make this seat winnable for the Nationals.
