Barry Soper: senior political correspondent on former National MP Paul East passing - Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive

Former MP Paul East has died.

ZB's senior political correspondent Barry Soper says East was a former Cabinet Minister in Jim Bolger's Government.

Soper says East had been ill for a very long time, and his heart goes out to his family.

It comes within hours of the death of former National MP Chester Borrows.

The 65-year-old was diagnosed with cancer last year.

Borrows served as Courts Minister and Deputy Speaker of the House in John Key's Government, before retiring in 2017.

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