North Shore by-election on April 8, first day of school holidays

VOTERS will go to the polls on April 8 in the North Shore by-election following the retirement of Jillian Skinner.

Jillian Skinner’s retirement sparked a by-election. Picture: AAP Image/Dan Himbrechts

• Jillian Skinner breaks silence on retirement
• Why has Jillian Skinner failed to formally resign?

VOTERS will go to the polls on April 8th in the North Shore by-election.

The election comes following the retirement of Jillian Skinner and will be held on the same day as the Manly and Gosford by-elections.

The date was announced by Speaker Shelley Hancock MP this morning.

“Subsequent upon receipt of the resignations of the previous members elected in the 2015 NSW General Election, I wish to announce that a by-election in the vacant seats of Manly, Gosford and North Shore will be held on Saturday 8th April 2017,” Mrs Hancock said.

Speaker Shelley Hancock MP announced the election date.

So far the Greens are the only party to officially announce their candidate for the North Shore in Justin Alick.

Five candidates have put their names forward for preselection for the Liberal party. The candidate is expected to be chosen at a gathering of Liberal party members in mid-March.

An independent candidate is believed to be waiting in the wings but has not yet announced.

The date selection has drawn criticism from the anti-council merger group Save Our Councils Coalition (SOCC) as it’s the first day of school holidays.

William and Jacquie Tuck are fighting council mergers. Picture: Virginia Young

“I can’t help but think it’s a ploy,” spokesman Will Tuck said.

“A lot of people will not be here and will have departed on the previous day.

“It’s just an inconvenience.”

Mr Tuck said the date selection gave a very short lead time to the election and didn’t give the opposition much time.

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