by-election

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A miss as good as a mile

Written By: - Date published: 3:45 pm, November 22nd, 2010 - 26 comments

Key talking on Breaskfast about Mana: “we slashed the majority from 6,155 to 1,080. So by any measure, you’ve got to take that as a win.” Apart from the one measure that counts. Eh John?

Of course, this is also the dude who reckons that sitting “pretty much next to” Obama for a few minutes is a foreign policy achievement.

Assessing Labour’s Mana result

Written By: - Date published: 9:44 am, November 21st, 2010 - 93 comments

Labour can be reasonably pleased with the Mana result. The majority is small but that does not mean anything for the wider party. To win Labour had to overcome 1) a weak candidate 2) a ferocious Key-centred National campaign  3) a threat to its left 4) a media narrative that damned it thrice over, and 5) a very low turn-out.

Mana by-election results

Written By: - Date published: 7:00 pm, November 20th, 2010 - 46 comments

Final update: With all booths counted. Fa’afoi-10397, Parata-9317. Majority 1080.

McCarten hardly featured on 816.

Who’s disrespecting whom?

Written By: - Date published: 7:42 pm, November 18th, 2010 - 38 comments

Mana locals rallied loudly against Key and Parata today. Key says “we treat them with respect even if they don’t treat us with respect”. Nah. McCarten talking to a guy who opposes him was respectful. Key could’ve shown respect by taking time to defend his record: wages down, no jobs, rising crime, service cuts. He didn’t. No respect.

Maori & Pacific Island incomes plummet

Written By: - Date published: 6:58 am, November 18th, 2010 - 93 comments

Here’s a little something that Kris Fa’afoi and his team might like to being to the attention of Mana voters as they prepare to go to the polls. On National’s watch, the median Maori income has fallen 11.5%. For Pacific Islanders the fall’s 19%. Pakeha are down 2.6%. No tax cut for the rich can cover the gaping holes in those family budgets.

Different approaches to campaigning in Mana

Written By: - Date published: 1:40 pm, November 11th, 2010 - 28 comments

The two major parties’ Mana campaigns are a prelude for 2011. Labour is focusing on boots on the ground and a strong candiate making personal contact with voters. National knows their candidate is weak so they’re turning to their one asset: Key. Meanwhile, Matt McCarten’s insurgent campaign is getting Left issues national coverage.

Caption competition

Written By: - Date published: 9:10 am, November 11th, 2010 - 13 comments

The image is from a flyer for Hekia Parata’s fundraiser at the ritzy Pauatahanui Inlet Lodge this evening (click through for full flyer). I bet there’ll be lots of working folks in Mana digging into their pockets for the $55 charge.

As for captions, here’s my suggestion:

‘The messiah feeds the 5,000 – for $55 a head’

Nat’s Mana strategy: exploit Parliament

Written By: - Date published: 8:28 am, November 3rd, 2010 - 47 comments

National is finding new exploitative ways to try save their by-election campaign in Mana.

Felix on the Mana debate

Written By: - Date published: 1:30 pm, November 1st, 2010 - 24 comments

Q+A held a debate between the Mana by-election candidates yesterday. Felix has done a very nice summary of how the candidates came across. Fa’afoi is a good guy but we aren’t seeing his values coming through very strongly. Parata is a nasty piece of work. She continually interrupts others when they speak then gets angry at the slightest questioning.

Matt McCarten standing in Mana

Written By: - Date published: 2:07 pm, October 27th, 2010 - 96 comments

Matt McCarten is chucking his hat into the ring for the Mana by election.  This is a typically gutsy move by McCarten, but a third candidate on the left simply isn’t going to find the space for a win.  My guess is that he will split the Green vote.  But with Key quietly campaigning in Mana, Labour needs to stay on top of their game. Labour activists — with greetings and thanks to you all — get out there and give it all you have!…

Mana campaign heating up

Written By: - Date published: 9:20 am, October 26th, 2010 - 55 comments

The Mana by-election campaign has largely been missing from the national political news in the last few weeks, due in part to bigger stories but also because National is purposely running an under the radar campaign. John Key is spending a lot of time in Mana, hoping to surprise Labour and the media. Time to fight back.

John Banks – another Melissa Lee

Written By: - Date published: 7:10 am, October 1st, 2010 - 74 comments

John Banks has been slagging off South Auckland.  Ooops.  That’s the same mistake that Melissa Lee made in the Mt Albert by election.  The same mistake deserves the same fate.  Banks cannot credibly operate as mayor of the SuperCity.

Nat smear machine obsessed by Fa’afoi’s ethnicity

Written By: - Date published: 10:03 am, September 29th, 2010 - 49 comments

Ever since Kris Fa’afoi put his name forward to be Labour’s candidate in the Mana by-election, the National smear machine attacked him on his Tokelaun heritage. First it was ‘oh, they’re only going to choose him because he has a brown face’. Now, apparently, the problem is that he isn’t Pasifika enough. In truth, it’s National with the problems.

Strong field emerges for Labour

Written By: - Date published: 11:46 am, August 12th, 2010 - 16 comments

Idle speculation about possible contenders to be the Labour candidate in a by-election seems to be the most important issue of the day. Labour has a good field to choose from it appears, while National will have to choose Parata or publicly slap her down. There are bigger isues at the moment but once the race is underway, it will be a microcosm of next year’s election.

Laban to step down

Written By: - Date published: 7:01 am, August 11th, 2010 - 41 comments

Winnie has been a great MP for Mana and is a pillar of the Pacific community. Her focus on the electorate and community that put her in office is something that a lot of other MPs could learn from. There’ll be strong competition to be Labour’s candidate in the by-election. National’s will be Hekia Parata, who’s of the Melissa Lee school of campaigning. Should be fun.