All or nothing: Michael Wood pins comeback on winning Mount Roskill
Friday, 15 May 2026
Former Labour cabinet minister Michael Wood is throwing everything behind his local electorate campaign, revealing to The Post that he will not seek a place on the party’s list at the November election.
It means that winning back his Mount Roskill seat, which he lost to National’s Carlos Cheung in 2023, is his only route to returning to Parliament after spending the past three years out of politics.
“I want to be back in Parliament, but the way I want to do it is with a mandate from Mount Roskill and representing the people of Mount Roskill,” Wood told The Post exclusively.
“It’s the old Peter Blake thing - what makes the boat go faster. For me, everything this year is about how can I represent and serve Mount Roskill.”
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Wood first entered Parliament in 2016 after winning the Mount Roskill seat, traditionally a Labour stronghold, in a by-election following the departure of former Labour leader Phil Goff.
The party entered government the following year, and Wood ascended quickly through Labour’s ranks. After the resignation of Prime Minister Dame Jacinda Ardern, Wood was seen as a possible contender to take on the top job - though he ultimately nominated Chris Hipkins for the role.
Under prime ministers Ardern and Hipkins, Wood took on several ministerial positions including Minister for Transport and Minister for Workplace Relations.
However, ahead of the 2023 election, he was embroiled in a political scandal related to his financial interests in Auckland Airport, which conflicted with his transport portfolio. After resigning from the transport role, further conflicts emerged and he subsequently resigned from his remaining posts.
He then lost his Mount Roskill seat at the general election.
Wood confirmed in November he would be standing once again for Labour in Mount Roskill. He told The Post he wanted to win back the confidence of the electorate, which informed his decision not to seek a list placing.
“I discussed that with party leadership and my team in Mount Roskill, that this was the way that I wanted to approach this. I do want to win not just the votes of people here, but their genuine support and confidence,” Wood said.
“That's not the only way I'll do it. But I just want to be clear with people in Mount Roskill that this is the focus.”
He also has his sights set on being back around the cabinet table, saying the “honest answer” is that any aspiring politician wants to be in that position.
“If I win Mount Roskill, which is the only priority this year for me, perhaps it'll be some time before that happens - that's fine. I want to win back Mount Roskill, represent this electorate, work as hard as I can, and if and when that opportunity arises, then great. But ultimately, your leader makes those calls.”
Running a seat-only campaign is a gambit some candidates use to entice voters who may otherwise choose to be tactical with their support.
Last year’s Tāmaki Makaurau by-election saw Te Pāti Māori argue that by voting for Oriini Kaipara, voters would end up with two local representatives given Labour’s Peeni Henare was, at the time, already an MP. Kaipara won in a landslide.
On the flipside, Labour’s Nanaia Mahuta ran a seat-only campaign in 2023 and was ultimately unseated by Te Pāti Māori’s Hana Rawhiti Maipi-Clarke.
The difference here is that Wood is not currently an MP.
In the end, he said, it would be up to voters if they wanted him back. “Maybe that does clarify the choice for voters, but for me it was important. My commitment to this place is genuine,” he said.
“I have lived here for now 23 years. My kids go to the local schools. In addition to being MP, I was on the local board here for a couple of terms, so 13 years of public service in this area, and this is the place that I want to serve. And if that helps to make that clearer, then good.”
Wood, who has been a director at the E Tū union since leaving Parliament, also revealed that if he doesn’t win Mount Roskill this time, he won’t be on the ballot in the electorate in 2029 - though he wouldn’t rule out other political opportunities.
“If I don't win this election, then I won't have won twice in a row, and I will move on to making a contribution in other ways,” he said.
“If I wasn't to win this election, then I would not be putting myself forward in Mount Roskill at the following election. I could certainly say that.”
The general election is on November 7.