Northland byelection: Old adversary voting for Peters

Former Labour MP Colin Moyle, now living in Paihia, found himself the centre of media attention yesterday for the first time in decades. Photo / Peter de Graaf

A former Labour MP who once stood against Winston Peters and won says he will vote for his former rival in this weekend's Northland byelection.

Colin Moyle, who now lives in Paihia, happened to be passing while the NZ First leader was holding a street meeting in the Bay of Islands town yesterday.

Mr Moyle interrupted Mr Peters' speech to pledge his support on Saturday - despite having defeated Mr Peters, then a National MP, in the race for the Hunua electorate in 1981. He told the ensuing media scrum it would be the first time in his life he had voted for anyone other than Labour, despite the party fielding an "excellent candidate" in Willow-Jean Prime.

"But Northland has been neglected. It needs to be made marginal, and the best way to make it marginal is by voting for Winston Peters," he said.

He had never thought he'd see the day he voted for his old nemesis.

Now 85, Mr Moyle was a Labour MP from 1963-77 in Manukau and Mangere.

He resigned in 1977 and returned in 1981 when he beat Mr Peters in what had been the safe National seat of Hunua. He retired in 1990. At one time he was seen as a possible successor to Labour leader Bill Rowling, a job eventually taken by David Lange.

He is credited with overseeing the removal of farming subsidies and establishing a fisheries quota system.