Banks panic

Written By: - Date published: 1:02 pm, October 18th, 2009 - 9 comments
Categories: auckland supercity, john banks, uncategorized - Tags: ,

john-banksLen Brown seems to have the Right in a bit of panic. Remuera Mayor John ‘in your guts you know he’s nuts’ Banks is speculating that Brown’s already toted up $150-$200k of campaign spending. Banks has always been screwy but he seems to have just made this up. That hasn’t stopped acolytes like Farrer from leaping into the fray. If Banks thinks putting up a few billboards and launching a website costs between $150 and $200k, his media buyer must be doing pretty well.

More realistically, Brown’s website today has noted his spend is somewhere around $50k . While it’s remarkable that the HoS bothers running a story based on nothing more than the claims of an avowed opponent, Brown should take all this attention as a compliment. Clearly a small dollop of clever marketing has the Right in a lather.

It should be noted that Banks and his C&R mates were doing some polling recently, testing his strength against Brown, and versus other potential rightwing candidates such as Michael Barnett, John Hood, and even Jenny Shipley. One would speculate that if Banks’ polling showed him leading Brown, it would have found its way into the public eye. Anyway seen it?…. Which perhaps explains why we’re now seeing wild conspiracies to try and undermine the boy from the southside.

It might also explain why Banks has shifted from refusing to engage with Brown to eagerly accepting opportunities. A few weeks ago, he was telling Morning Report producers he wouldn’t debate with Brown on any issue ever. Yet this past few days, keen mayoral watchers noticed a 60 Minutes crew following Banks around Auckland midweek, and likewise Len at a Howick gala on Saturday.

9 comments on “Banks panic ”

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  1. graham 1
    18 October 2009 at 1:42 pm

    this website a year ago predicted a labour win so keep attacking banks its realy hurt john key(your attacks)

  2. Robert Winter 2
    18 October 2009 at 2:57 pm

    Shipley has always been a possibility, in my view, She would have an effect on the voting demographic. If it’s not Banks, then it has to be a serious step-up – John Hood isn’t the politician to lead a successful campaign; Michael Barnett might think he is. I think that Brown versus Shipley would be one heck of a clash.

  3. gitmo 3
    18 October 2009 at 3:20 pm

    I think if it comes to a choice between Banks and Brown Auckland will give a resounding vote to Banks.

    What disappoints me is that there aren’t better candidates knocking about…..but looking at all the mayors/deputy mayors around the auckland region there’s a tragic lack of talent.

  4. torydog 4
    18 October 2009 at 4:27 pm

    Aucklanders dont do themselves any favours by voting banks as Mayor…..i mean…it just makes the rest of us so very very happy about not being a Jafa!

  5. handle 5
    18 October 2009 at 5:10 pm

    Gitmo, you obviously do not talk with many people from outside the Eastern suburbs. Banks has no friends to the North, West or South. He won’t be the right’s candidate anyway and his campaign team like richboy Bhatnagar know it.

    • gitmo 5.1
      18 October 2009 at 5:29 pm

      Handle I live to the North – most of the people over here are agog at the latest buffoon we’ve voted in and at present see Banks as the least bad of a cak bunch……… I don’t know about you but I couldn’t be bothered with any of the current crop……it’s all irrelevant anyway as whoever gets in will do the usual.

  6. Steve Withers 6
    18 October 2009 at 8:29 pm

    Banks is a polarising figure, backed by the grumpy crew and the business crowd (the latter perhaps out of necessity rather than by choice).

    Len Brown is the probable ‘Mayor for Everyone’.

    Just a matter of time now,,,,,,unless something new happens.

  7. Gooner 7
    18 October 2009 at 9:55 pm

    Good grief, 12 months to go. Mate, if we use a race analogy, the candidates are still training & the start line is 8 months away.

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