National keen to retake New Plymouth seat

Regaining New Plymouth is ‘‘crucial’’ to National’s hopes of returning to Government, Opposition shadow treasurer Andrew Bayly said on a visit to the city.

Bayly said the party was keen to regain the seat lost in the last election when incumbent MP Jonathan Young lost to Labour newcomer Glenn Bennett.

‘‘The party really want to New Plymouth back and we have a good list of people wanting to put their names forward for candidate selection,’’ he said yesterday, at the end of a short visit in which he talked to range of businesses.

‘‘It’s a great place, and it’s crucial for us to win to return to Government.’’

Bayly believed Labour benefited from the Green Party withdrawing its candidate in the electorate and voters switching to Labour.

The farmer-turned-businessman and merchant banker said Taranaki was ideally placed to be the hub of a lowemission economy as the country moved away from oil and gas.

It was time to develop a pathway from the universities to the workplace to ensure a skilled workforce was retained, Bayly said.

‘‘I’ve yet to see evidence of a genuine policy to replace high-earning jobs lost from the oil and gas sector.

‘‘There is no pathway to follow and people don’t like uncertainty, and decisions done on the hoof.

‘‘If it left too late, many of these highly skilled people will leave the region to work overseas.’’