National Party sets up presence in Kerikeri

NZ First leader Winston Peters

The 2017 election campaign appears to be off to an early start in Kerikeri with the National Party opening an out-of-Parliament office today - one day before Northland MP Winston Peters opens his first electorate office since winning the March byelection.

Mr Peters, the leader of NZ First, defeated National in what had been a safe blue seat since 1966. The byelection was called after the resignation of former National MP Mike Sabin, who had been returned just a few months earlier, due to "personal reasons".

National's decision to open an out-of-Parliament office is the first tangible sign that the party is determined to win the seat back. The new National Party office will share a building with Rintoul Civil, next to Kerikeri Community Garden and across the road from the former Pete's Museum.

The costs will be covered by Parliamentary Services using funding for the party's list MPs. This morning's opening will be attended by National's Rodney MP Mark Mitchell.

The party is expected to hold a selection process next year to find a new candidate to replace Mark Osborne, the Far North District Council employee who gained 11,648 votes in the byelection to Mr Peters' 16,089.

Meanwhile, Mr Peters is opening an office on Homestead Rd, in a cluster of shops known as The Courtyard, tomorrow afternoon.

His immediate neighbours are a watchmaker/locksmith and La Taza Del Diablo, a Mexican-themed bar and restaurant.

Mr Peters had originally planned to open four offices around the electorate. A Dargaville office is planned and possibly also one in Wellsford.

The National Party's previous office in Kerikeri closed on April 17 after the byelection loss. The new National office will be open 9am-1.30pm Wednesday to Friday. Mr Peters' office hours have yet to be decided.

Mr Peters shares a parliamentary office in Whangarei with NZ First list MP Pita Paraone.