by-election

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Labour chooses Poto Williams for Christchurch East

Written By: - Date published: 4:19 pm, September 21st, 2013 - 58 comments

Labour has selected Poto Williams to be its candidate for Christchurch East. I hadn’t heard of her before but a few phone calls has convinced me she’ll be a great candidate and a great MP. It’s fantastic to see a Maori woman being selected for a general roll seat in a open competition with people from a variety of backgrounds. That shows it’s a meritocratic system.

6 for Christchurch East

Written By: - Date published: 1:18 pm, September 9th, 2013 - 12 comments

Labour yesterday announced the 6 candidates standing for selection to be the Christchurch East candidate in the impending by-election. All are locals, and there’s no Clayton Cosgrove despite early rumour-mongering. It looks a talented list.

Maori Party finished?

Written By: - Date published: 9:57 am, July 1st, 2013 - 83 comments

Gotta love the reporting of the Ikaroa-Rawhiti by election. This was a boring, predictable win for Labour, a big upset win for Mana, and probably the death knell of the Maori Party.

Update: Native Affairs has unconfirmed reports that Sharples has stood down as leader of the Maori Party.

Ikaroa-Rawhiti by-election

Written By: - Date published: 6:02 am, June 29th, 2013 - 83 comments

Comments on this post have now been enabled for a discussion of the outcome!

Selection and election

Written By: - Date published: 9:06 pm, May 26th, 2013 - 3 comments

I’ve always been in favour of contested selection for parliamentary candidates. Being a Member of Parliament requires commitment, energy and above all a robust mental and physical constitution – clear values and strong bodies.When Parekura Horomia was selected in 1998 there were a little over 20 Labour party members in the electorate. This time its different. Media reports have party membership at 850, and the three selection meetings in the huge electorate attracted 180 in the Hutt, 110 in Tolaga Bay, and 430 in Napier. That’s the base from which Meka Whaitiri, Labour’s chosen candidate comes.

Marama Davidson: a promising Green candidate

Written By: - Date published: 7:43 pm, May 26th, 2013 - 12 comments

The Green candidate for the  Ikaroa-Rahiti by-election, Marama Davidson is someone to watch.  However, Labour’s Meka Whaitiri is the front runner and a very strong candidate.   Mana’s Te Hamua Nikora and the Maori Party’s Na Raihania also have the opportunity to make their mark.

High interest in Ikaroa-Rawhiti

Written By: - Date published: 3:37 pm, May 23rd, 2013 - 22 comments

Labour will hold three selection meetings in the very large electorate, in Seaview, in Tolaga Bay, and the final one in Napier on Sunday. Labour has a very strong slate of six high-calibre candidates. New members are flocking to the party, and with over 500 electorate members having a say this time the meetings will be full on as well as full. All Party members can attend; anyone can register to get the result.

Epsom by election?

Written By: - Date published: 8:28 am, May 3rd, 2013 - 73 comments

John Banks is in court to answer allegations over his Dotcom donations and electoral returns. If convicted he loses his seat. How would an Epsom by election play out?

Slippery does a flip-flop

Written By: - Date published: 10:19 am, May 3rd, 2012 - 28 comments

Slippery old Key said on Monday and Tuesday that he had to apply a legal test to whether John Banks should stay on as a minister. The Cabinet manual demands the highest ethical standards. Now, Key’s flip-flopped: ethics are required – but only after one becomes a minister. Which would be worrying if true. Pansy Wong won’t be the only one to note Key’s standards a slipping.

If Banks resigns

Written By: - Date published: 12:21 pm, May 1st, 2012 - 70 comments

A by-election in Epsom. If ACT or National win, the Right retains 61 votes. But, between resignation and swearing in typically takes 3 months during which the Right would have 60 v 60. Legislation fails on draws. Asset sales, SkyCity, welfare cuts, even the Budget could all fail if the Maori Party wants. And what if the Conservatives win? They’re anti-asset sales and crony capitalism. You can see why Key is turning a blind eye.

The little I know about David Shearer

Written By: - Date published: 1:55 pm, December 3rd, 2011 - 134 comments

I ran David Shearer’s campaign headquarters in the 2009 Mt Albert by-election. That gave me unique perspective to get a good hard look at a man in a pressure cooker environment. David arrived from the middle east literally a few short hours before the candidate selection speeches.  It showed.  He looked tired. But he went […]

Te Tai Tokerau final results good for Labour

Written By: - Date published: 2:10 pm, July 6th, 2011 - 23 comments

The 1,916 special votes got pared to 769. Of which Hone Harawira got 454 and Kelvin Davis got 204. There really isn’t anything in it with a by-election majority of 1117. It will make this a tight contest at election time because Labour will now view this electorate as being quite winnable. IMHO as an long time electorate campaigner, some of the Mana supporters have been over-blowing their result.

Mana a victory for the Left

Written By: - Date published: 10:44 am, June 26th, 2011 - 177 comments

A victory for Mana or a victory for Labour? Actually, it was a win for both, and a win for the Left. The losers in Te Tai Tokerau were the true enemies of the Left – the kupapa Maori Party and National. Turia put up a weak candidate hoping to concentrate the anti-Hone vote behind Davis. Now, the Maori Party faces a three-way fight it can’t win.

Congratulations Hone Harawira, MP for Te Tai Tokerau

Written By: - Date published: 8:21 pm, June 25th, 2011 - 165 comments

Hone Harawira has won the by-election for Te Tai Tokerau, despite the best efforts of the msm, John Key’s endorsement of Kelvin Davis, dirty tricks from the Maori Party, and despite Labour’s typically ill-considered, hamfisted attempts to wipe out Mana at its first election.

The best man won.

Te Tai Tokerau

Written By: - Date published: 7:01 pm, June 25th, 2011 - 112 comments

Te Tai Tokerau includes the North Shore, so there’s been a by-election in my patch today. But now: we just have to sit back and wait.  What will happen to Hone’s 6,308 majority? 

[99% booths in: Hone 5372 Kelvin 4582 Solomon 1003]

Turia on Te Tai Tokerau

Written By: - Date published: 10:37 am, June 22nd, 2011 - 25 comments

Were Tariana Turia’s comments on her own candidate in the Te Tai Tokerau by-election some kind of cunning plan, or just a simple stuff-up?

Another interesting poll?

Written By: - Date published: 6:30 pm, June 13th, 2011 - 9 comments

Could be worth watching Native Affairs on Maori television tonight at 8:30. The Te Tai Tokerau candidates will be debating and it appears there may be a very interesting poll result in the offing. The Herald’s story today on a different sort of poll is headlined “Voters back Harawira, but only by a whisker.” It could go down to the wire.
Update: Hone 41, Kelvin 40

Weaving the magic

Written By: - Date published: 8:12 pm, June 12th, 2011 - 19 comments

Watch Kelvin Davis on Q+A with Hone Harawira. He was superb. He says the message he is giving about being part of the future for Maori is resonating around the Tai Tokerau. I’ll bet it is. The by-election result could be very interesting indeed. I liked his take on leadership too – it’s about being focussed on the objective and doing what is necessary to achieve it. Couldn’t agree more.

Te Tai Tokerau by election 25th June

Written By: - Date published: 2:49 pm, May 12th, 2011 - 68 comments

We have a date for what promises to be a fascinating by election.  The pressure is on Hone Harawira…

Hone resigns

Written By: - Date published: 5:03 pm, May 11th, 2011 - 33 comments

Hone has done what he said he would and resigned, effective May 20. There will be a by-election in Te Tai Tokerau.

Harawira vs Davis vs ?

Written By: - Date published: 10:36 am, May 11th, 2011 - 38 comments

Labour has decided to stand Kelvin Davis in the Te Tai Tokerau by-election. I wish they hadn’t. First, Davis strikes me as quality and you don’t tarnish quality by making it lose in front of a national audience. Look what happened to Melissa Lee, former National rising star. And Davis will lose, let’s be honest.

Spat on the altar

Written By: - Date published: 7:52 pm, May 10th, 2011 - 19 comments

It was good to hear Mike Williams as the voice of the left on Nine to Noon yesterday. It is high time that someone from the broad left had the mike, to coin a phrase. Mike “spat on the altar” and had a friendly go at his mate Matt McCarten’s strategy for a by-election in Te Tai Tokerau, a kind of joust of the gurus. He thinks Matt made a mistake there, and I agree.

Harawira right to call by-election

Written By: - Date published: 9:03 am, May 2nd, 2011 - 21 comments

As I foreshadowed a week ago, Hone Harawira is to trigger a by-election in Te Tai Tokerau. It’s the right thing to do: Harawira should test his mandate to lead a new party, as Winston Peters and Tariana Turia did. It’s also good politics – keeping the Mana Party in the news – just as the other parties’ reactions are good politics on their part.

New Citizens’ Party paper flouts electoral law

Written By: - Date published: 9:30 am, March 8th, 2011 - 36 comments

The United Chinese Press newspaper is potentially facing prosecution under the Electoral Act after it ran adverts on the day of the Botany by-election supporting New Citizens’ Party candidate Paul Young. The paper, the party, and the bidders for the Crafar Farms all appear to have strong links each other and the Chinese government.

Botany by-election

Written By: - Date published: 6:10 am, March 5th, 2011 - 54 comments

For obvious reasons the Botany by-election has received very little attention on this blog, or anywhere else in the media.  Some are calling it “the byelection everyone forgot”.

Jami-Lee Ross runs scared

Written By: - Date published: 12:43 pm, February 10th, 2011 - 42 comments

Jami-Lee Ross is running from having any debate with his opponent in the Botany.

Nats’ Botany Selections

Written By: - Date published: 1:45 pm, January 21st, 2011 - 60 comments

The National Party head office have culled the eight people they don’t like and left five to contest Botany.

It’s Maggie Barry vs Jami-Lee Ross and three others.

New Citizens meet Natural Dairy in Beijing

Written By: - Date published: 10:32 pm, January 14th, 2011 - 40 comments

Does this Herald article about the New Citizen Party meeting in Beijing make anyone else uneasy? I’ve no problem with a new political party that’s targeted at migrants. My concern is the apparent links with the Chinese Government. We don’t want a foreign government putting up a proxy in our elections.

Botany & Titbits

Written By: - Date published: 1:26 pm, January 14th, 2011 - 28 comments

The New Citizen Party is going to contest Botany, and aims to get at least 6 MPs in the general election.  They will be the surprise force in Botany, with no-one knowing quite where to place them.

Also, Sandra Goudie is to retire.

Early thoughts on the Botany by-election

Written By: - Date published: 10:30 am, December 16th, 2010 - 28 comments

Pansy Wong’s resignation in disgrace makes four ministers and three MPs lost by John Key’s government in two years (and more who have escaped scot-free). Now, we face another by-election – on March 5th, Botany will choose Wong’s successor. Here’s my take on the probable candidates and the party positioning.

Waiting on Wong to do right

Written By: - Date published: 6:12 am, November 23rd, 2010 - 67 comments

Why are we waiting for Pansy Wong to resign from Parliament for her corrupt use of her MP’s perks or, failing that, for the Nats to evict her? The theory is the Nats want to avoid a by-election over summer. As Trevor Mallard puts it – Key wants to have his Hawaii holiday in peace. But the NBR’s Matt Nippert has other reasons for Wong’s soft treatment.