The latest from the fledgling Democracy NZ is a classic schism by people who don’t want to actually achieve anything useful. It has lost about a third of its senior candidates. Classic for those who prioritise their own personal freedom over cooperation and community in their pursuit of power.
Labour has hit stratospheric highs in the new Reid Research poll at 60.9%, and still have a strong partner in the Greens at 5.7%. Who’s in and out on these numbers? How has Collins performed?
Politik reports that some mayors from Northalnd are upset that they aren’t going to get a four lane boondoggle to feed more heavy trucks into traffic chaos that is the Auckland isthmus. They can stick their trucks up their body cavity of choice and learn to love rail. We don’t need more traffic in Auckland until we fix the disaster that National have left us.
Meet the new bridge, same as the old bridge.
Richard Harman on the Politik blog: “Overall, to use a favourite Government saying, it was an ‘untidy’ weekend capped by a flat speech from English which saw delegates ignore placards they’d been given to wave when he finished speaking.” The B-team is missing John Key.
With the sudden departure of deep sea drilling company Statoil from Northland here’s a timely look the role of community action in that, the state of play in NZ and what is next.
Congratulations and thanks to the people of Northland!
Winston Peters has stitched John Key up again, this time hook, line and sinker. When Key lied in Parliament about the Northland MP’s supposedly leisurely lifestyle, Peters offered a challenge: provide some evidence or donate $100k to charity. Will cowardly Key take the bait?
There are many specific reasons why National lost Northland, but arrogance is the thread running through all of them.
Steven Joyce is adamant that Northland was unique and what it really needed was improved infrastructure such as roads and broadband. Joyce has a narrow, blinkered view of the world. Sadly the election defeat didn’t remove his blinkers or open his eyes to look at Northlands real needs.
A selection of the wit and wisdom of Twitter tonight. Compare and contrast the Labour and National leaders.
Is anyone else experiencing a bit of political shellshock?
“John Key heckled in Northland” – ouch.
Stuff: “Peters says that over the next 48 hours the only thing National voters want from Key is an explanation for why they’re having a by-election in the first place.”
It looks to me like the early voting for Northland is likely to be close to or more than 50% of the total vote. Part of that is because it is a by-election. Part because of National’s hapless and tainted candidates (past and present) going against effective opponents. But also due to the strong trend to early voting. It will need to cause changes in electioneering.
Is Northland getting sick of National’s panicked invasion? Will having Osborne fail to front Peters in the studio help? Could National actually lose Northland?
One of National’s big claims in the Northland buy election was that they had created 7500 new jobs in Northland. Lies lies lies.
All these National backbenchers with delusions of grandeur sound the same to me …
National is obviously deeply afraid of losing the Northland By Election as is clearly shown by the liberal application of pork barrel politics, the misuse of statistics, the use of Ministerial resources to help campaigning and now the bullying of a local group seeking to have a local road improved.
So our PM is cutting short state business for the purposes of party campaigning. Since Key invented the whole silly hats game, I guess it’s fair to ask if he still gets paid as PM when he is acting in his capacity as Party Leader? If so, why?
Winston Peters has challenged John Key to a debate in Northland.
Advance voting only opened on Wednesday in Northland and already double that of the general election. Unusual in a by election for there to be a big turnout, so we will see if it continue.
The Nats are now threatening Northland voters with the loss of roading projects and more. Classy.
No need for Mr Gower to get all hot and bothered over this “dirty deal”, it’s just National’s Epsom branch backing the National candidate.
I kid you not but John Key thinks that Dotcom and Hager prevented him from announcing the Northland bridge decaboondoggle. And Sabin is having no effect on the by election campaign.
National’s proposal to double lane ten Northland bridges has some unusual aspects. Seven of them were not in the region’s Regional Land Transport Program such was their priority in the scale of things. And one is apparently right next to National candidate Mark Osborne’s home …
A sudden enthusiasm for local infrastructure projects on the eve of a tight by-election. What a remarkable coincidence! I wonder whether the cost/benefit ratios on these bridges are up to scratch? Last year National bribed people in the general election. OIA time
Despite Mr Gower’s excitable tendencies, Andrew Little’s comments that Northland voters may wish to vote to send a signal to the government is not a “dirty deal”.
Andrew Little on TVNZ’s Q&A: “They’ve got a vote they should use it. If they want to vote to send a message to the Government then they should use it”.
In which John Key denies the bleeding obvious, and John Armstrong risks whiplash with the speed of his U-turn.
Two interesting changes in the Northland by-election overnight.
