Another Act candidate bites the dust

Written By: - Date published: 8:21 am, September 11th, 2023 - 24 comments
Categories: act, election 2023 - Tags:

At this rate Act may not have enough candidates to fill its list of MPs in Parliament.

A fifth Act candidate has pulled out, days before the list has to be lodged.

From the Herald:

The Act Party has lost its fifth candidate in eight weeks after Brent Miles, who was running in Taranaki King Country, withdrew from the race just over a month out from the election.

A party spokesman said Miles withdrew last week for personal reasons and “we have no further comment”.

I suspect Brent Miles is another cooker candidate and something has been discovered in his social media that was to difficult to sustain.

The other candidates who have withdrawn include the following:

  1. Elaine Naidu Franz who had compared vaccine mandates to Nazi concentration camps.
  2. Anto Coats who made parody songs about Ardern and sang she was “throwing you in the Gulag”.  He nominally resigned for personal reasons.
  3. Darren Gilchrest who claimed Covid-19 vaccines were linked to drownings. He also claimed to be standing down for personal reasons.
  4. Scott Boness who did not give a reason for his withdrawal, and said he wanted to wait until “the other side” of the election.  He also said “Be as cynical, as theoretical as you want, but you never know what the potential outcome of a story might have on the way people view how they vote.”

There are a few other candidates they should have got rid of.  Like sitting MP Mark Cameron who is described by ACT as being an authentic voice for rural people but who is also a climate change denier and a Donald Trump supporter.  He also has abused Ardern and described her as “pea brained halfwit”, a “feckless wench”, “a IQ light weight”, a “vacuous teenager” while at the same time thinking that Trump has been making the United States “awesome” during his term as president.

Or Zane Cousins who has been the subject of four complaints relating to his performance as a real eastate agent.  One of the complaints resulted in a censure.

To top off the sense of unreality ACT has proposed a confidence only deal with National.  Decisions on budgets and legislation would be made on a case by case basis.  The prospects of brinkmanship would be very high.  National has responded to this proposal by indicating that it does not deal in hypotheticals.

There are distinct signs of American style politics infecting one of our major parties.  Voters should avoid these parties like the plague.

24 comments on “Another Act candidate bites the dust ”

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  1. Roy Cartland 1
    11 September 2023 at 9:12 am

    While I agree, I think we should retire the phrase "avoid like the plague". Turns out many people don't avoid plagues these days, and go nuts if you ask them to 🥴🥴🥴

  2. Blazer 2
    11 September 2023 at 9:58 am

    What a NACT leader would look like.

    Mad Magazine Alfred E. Neuman Bust, Solid Fine Pewter - agrohort.ipb.ac.id

  3. AB 3
    11 September 2023 at 10:45 am

    ACT are hoovering up people who were unable to understand what old-fashioned, tried and true, public health measures have always looked like – and why they are necessary. In the 19th century they would have been horrified about not being allowed to empty chamber pots into the street.

    It's fertile ground at the moment, which is why Winston has also chosen to play there. Or it could be that Winston is playing 4-dimensional chess, and sees it as his holy mission to save NZ from the ACT party having Ministers outside cabinet in a Luxon government. If he succeeds in that, we might just be grateful to him in the end, as in 2017. Or he could be a vain, old poseur who likes the limelight.

    • Tiger Mountain 3.1
      11 September 2023 at 11:43 am

      The Whananaki Gargoyle–it is a nice inlet and beach, where various members of the Peters clan hang out.

      So many people down their own rabbit holes these days, make it difficult to get a handle on this election at times.

      Act needs to get the sort of walloping that Labour gets from media channels over these deviant candidates–and their current well under wraps MPs with some totally MAGA views.

      • AB 3.1.1
        11 September 2023 at 12:42 pm

        It is a nice spot TM. As is the run on the road to the Heads then up the Owhiwa Rd past your eponymous mountain and either back into town or on through Ngunguru and Sandy and cut across the back road to Whananaki.

  4. Tricledrown 4
    11 September 2023 at 11:28 am

    ACT have a problem the Media would be all over this if it were Labour or the Greens.Look at recent events ACT five candidates plus no doubt other's. The media should be asking the hard questions.Then National should be asked why they are allowing a dodgy bunch of Mysoginist Racist Antvaxxers going to be their coalition Party.

  5. Mike the Lefty 5
    11 September 2023 at 11:29 am

    ACT used to promote themselves as progressives. After all it was Seymour who introduced the End of Life Choice bill into parliament, which was actually quite a radical and brave move, whatever stance you might take on the matter.

    Now it seems they have descended into a more affluent and yuppy version of Democracy NZ, conspiracy theorists, antivaxxers and social misanthropes.

    Seymour must be wondering how the hell he's going to manage this. Where is Crosby Textor when you need them?

    • Tiger Mountain 5.1
      11 September 2023 at 12:01 pm

      While an “End of life choice” supporter myself, it certainly did grate that the Epsom Twerker was the Parliamentary sponsor of a more humane approach to dying for those that want it.

      Act have a right bunch of wide eyed lunatic candidates it would seem–do some of them even know about the legacy of Hayek, Friedman, the Chicago Boys, Thatcher, Roger Douglas etc.?

  6. Gosman 6
    12 September 2023 at 11:01 am

    This is a non issue. There are always withdrawals from political party candidates before the list is finalised especially the minor parties. Last election ACT lost about the same number as this time.

    The Greens have lost Dr Alexander McNeil, Rochelle Francis, and Rochelle Francis from their initial list announcement of their top 31 list placements. Does that mean we should worry about The Greens quality of candidates as well?

    • Blazer 6.1
      12 September 2023 at 11:15 am

      To lose one Rochelle Francis is a shame…to lose two….is tragic!

    • Mac1 6.2
      12 September 2023 at 1:38 pm

      The issue is two fold. First, the reason why candidates go is most important. One of the three mentioned moved electorates and jobs so that really did matter. I am not a Green voter but that particular individual was a good prospective candidate.

      And the second issue is whether parties which select a series of dubious candidates are actually not themselves of dubious quality as a party or at least in their selection processes.

      • Gosman 6.2.1
        12 September 2023 at 3:01 pm

        Candidate withdraw for all sorts of reasons. You listed one reason from one ex Green party candidate. What about the other two?

        • Mac1 6.2.1.1
          12 September 2023 at 6:14 pm

          No idea. My points stand- the reasons why candidates stand, and stand down, are issues of public import, for my two reasons. Too many dodgy candidates is a concern. How many is too many? Back to you…..

    • observer 6.3
      12 September 2023 at 1:52 pm

      There are always withdrawals from political party candidates before the list is finalised

      ACT's list was published on July 16. Those withdrawing since are official candidates, with a list ranking.

      Perhaps David Seymour could assist the voters by announcing which ones don't count. "Please don't go as far down as number 20", that kind of thing.

      • Gosman 6.3.1
        12 September 2023 at 2:59 pm

        Sorry but you are wrong. Until the nominations close on September 15th (this Friday) a candidate can withdraw and will no longer be kn the list.

        • observer 6.3.1.1
          12 September 2023 at 3:30 pm

          So we should take no notice of ACT's candidates until September 15, because they aren't candidates?

          Let's face it, "finalised" (the word you used) is meaningless, because a candidate can be disowned at any time, before or after the election. David Garrett, for example.

          They key question remains: why are these people ACT candidates? The onus is on ACT, not us as voters, to find out who they are and what they stand for. Their risible level of "due diligence" before hiring would not pass muster at any reputable employer.

    • adam 6.4
      13 September 2023 at 1:09 am

      Bullshit Gossy, your party has a track record of very poor candidate selection, and at least one who was a villainous fox.

      So it is a bit of an issue. Also likening anything to nazis by a candidate is fubar and you know it.

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