Dunne and dusted?

133 comments on “Dunne and dusted? ”

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1. outofbed 1

   31 May 2013 at 6:30 pm

   United Future can’t get 500 members Nationally eh? ..Pathetic
   Dunne is a bad joke

   The Greens could probably rustle up that number of financial members from Welly 🙂
2. Lanthanide 2

   31 May 2013 at 6:32 pm

   But clearly National are relying on Dunne, not United Future. He can stand as an Independent. Be interesting to have one of them win a seat, for a change.

   Edit:
   Oh, just read the linked article, and to say that this post is spin would be putting it lightly. Here’s the ACTUAL situation, as reported by stuff in the link provided:

   The deregistration was done at the request of United Future, a statement on the commission’s website said.

   Party president Robin Gunston said the party had asked for the move to be taken while it cleared up “inconsistencies” with its membership numbers.

   However the party did have more than 500 members, as required under the Electoral Act, he said.

   Nowhere does IrishBill indicate that this is expected to be temporary, in fact he very much implies that it isn’t.

   [the need to have 500 financial members and be able to sign a statutory declaration to that effect regularly didn’t suddenly spring on United Future. It has always been the case. They will have known their financials were falling into the danger zone for a long time, if they could have fixed it, they would have before it became critical. The ‘its just temporary’ line is what we call ‘spin’, designed to fool the credulous into believing a bad situation is better than it is. Incidentally, Dunne could still run as a UF candidate, but UF can’t get broadcast funding or contest the party vote unless it re-registers. Eddie]
   • Pascal's bookie 2.1

     31 May 2013 at 6:41 pm

     They totally have 500 members, why, they say so themselves! They just de-registered because they wanted the publicity.
     • paul andersen 2.1.1

       31 May 2013 at 9:36 pm

       dunne has been to so many parties in his long pointless career, you would think he could rustle up that many friends, even if they were the facebook sort.
       • rosy 2.1.1.1

         31 May 2013 at 10:24 pm

         He has all of 60 friends on his Facebook page and fewer than 200 for United Future, so, yeah… nah.
         • georgecom 2.1.1.1.1

           31 May 2013 at 11:28 pm

           Maybe Dunne setting UF up as a ‘virtual’ ‘online’ political party?

           Mind you, I thought they have been a ‘virtual’ party for some years now.
         • Murray Olsen 2.1.1.1.2

           1 June 2013 at 9:35 pm

           But Pete George’s blog has a huge readership. Doesn’t it?
   • mickysavage 2.2

     31 May 2013 at 8:01 pm

     It probably isn’t. UF has looked terminal for a while. They have an obligation to file an annual return and I wonder if they have. They can either be deregistered at Dunne’s request or under section 70(2) of the Electoral Act by the Electoral Commission if the commission “is satisfied that the number of current financial members of the party who are eligible to enrol as electors has fallen below 500”.

     They may have jumped before they were pushed.
     • Anne 2.2.1

       31 May 2013 at 8:07 pm

       ms is probably correct.

       They jumped before they were pushed.
   • North 2.3

     31 May 2013 at 10:53 pm

     Lanthanide, completely guessing but I suspect that to maintain a pose as a registered political party, while not having an identifiable requisite level membership, would amount to a breach of the act, albeit minor perhaps. So UF fronting up is not particularly remarkable or commendable.

     What remains memorable is the mocking “hahaha” from all sides when the Mana Movement ran into some registration problem (the exact detail of which I don’t recall) at the time of the Te Tai Tokerau byelection. Which memorably Hone Harawira went on to win. And again in 2011.

     So now it’s our turn to “hahaha” at the perennially biddable chameleon and fabulously overpaid Peter Dunne.
   • Lanthanide 2.4

     1 June 2013 at 9:44 am

     Thanks Irish. My point is that your original post doesn’t mention any of that. IMO it should have. Hence my comment.
3. Vagabundo 3

   31 May 2013 at 6:38 pm

   So what, does that mean Dunne is now an independent?
   • Lanthanide 3.1

     31 May 2013 at 6:54 pm

     I think the real implication is that he should lose parliamentary funding as he is no longer a leader of a party.
     • The Pink Postman 3.1.1

       1 June 2013 at 3:48 pm

       Now that is an interesting observation Lanthanide.Will he still claim the Leadership allowance ? In bet he will if he can. However maybe he will join ACT and become a deputy leader , It will certainly be interesting to see what this human cockroach does next,
   • paul andersen 3.2

     1 June 2013 at 12:01 pm

     no, he is still for sale, still hanging onto others coat tails for his job, independent ? he never has been.
4. karol 4

   31 May 2013 at 6:41 pm

   The bigger picture is the issue of National worrying about it’s support partners for the next election. In that badly typed press release from TV3’s The Nation, it says that:

   “The Nation” has received a bundle of documents apparently written by Hawkes bay businessman and Naitonal Party member, Simon Lusk.

   The documents outline a proposal to replace existing National MPs with “fiscal conservatives” who could help move the aprty to the right.

   The plan would be assisted with finance from Americna conservatives.

   We have been in touch with Mr Lusk and he says he can’t say naything because he has lost his voice.

   But I would hardly say the current National caucus leadership is “centrist” – it’s pretty right wing.

   Anyway, Martyn Bradbury says the Daily Blog has been getting the same leaks. it’s looking like Lusk has been busy:

   The Daily Blog tip line is running hot with rumours that the Prime Ministers Office is about to leak to the NZ Herald a list of National Party MPs who are paying consultants who have dark intentions. …

   the PMs office has done some fishing and have found plans put together by some of these consultants that one inside source said “if these ever found their way into the hands of Nicky Hager, it would be over for National’.

   The National Party hierarchy believe they can further their agenda via soft selling the changes as opposed to a semi-fascist one and have made the decision to leak to the Herald to kill this off.

   Key’s faction want the “far right” in support parties, while apparently others want the radicals inside the Nat Party.

   Well, i guess that’s how Key wants to spin it. He can’t keep up the pretense of the line about the Greens being “far left”, if the Nats overtly embrace the “far right”.
   • mickysavage 4.1

     31 May 2013 at 8:08 pm

     Yep National has been leaking for a while. Order popcorn. They are way better at this sort of stuff than Labour.
5. ochocinco 5

   31 May 2013 at 6:42 pm

   While I disagree with almost all of Dunne’s policies, it is a sad day when we lose another party*. From variety comes strength.

   * except Act and Libertarianz
   • gobsmacked 5.1

     31 May 2013 at 7:22 pm

     Several parties were lost when Peter Dunne swallowed them.
6. Treetop 6

   31 May 2013 at 6:42 pm

   Not being able to sign the required statutory declaration required.

   How long has this been known?

   Does technically being an independent affect Dunne’s vote re legislation due to misleading being a party?

   Karma because it is going to cost Dunne by losing the party research grant.

   It has got to the point where a position or two has to be created or staff has got to be increased to check up on sloppiness in parliament.
7. kiwicommie 7

   31 May 2013 at 6:48 pm

   The plan would be assisted with finance from Americna conservatives

   So National still thinks it can just buy the next New Zealand election? Perhaps they don’t realise that New Zealand has already woken up.
   • Matt 7.1

     31 May 2013 at 9:13 pm

     I didn’t realize NZ had woken up, either. Has it?
   • Draco T Bastard 7.2

     1 June 2013 at 9:16 am

     I noticed that bit too and I’d say that that is what is going to really cull Nationals support. NZers really don’t like it when foreign nationals are fucking around around in our politics.
     • Matthew Whitehead 7.2.1

       1 June 2013 at 6:41 pm

       Well, at least not unless they’re being completely open and above board about it.
8. wyndham 8

   31 May 2013 at 6:51 pm

   Where does this Dunne kerfuffle leave Pete George ?
   • Lanthanide 8.1

     31 May 2013 at 6:57 pm

     Waiting in the wings to rise to power, like a glorious phoenix.
     • phillip ure 8.1.1

       31 May 2013 at 7:52 pm

       maybe pete george could get himself cloned..?

       ..to make up the numbers..?

       phillip ure..
       • Dv 8.1.1.1

         1 June 2013 at 12:09 pm

         I thought he had been cloned.
   • paul andersen 8.2

     1 June 2013 at 12:04 pm

     looking like a turkey waiting for christmas
9. Brett Dale 9

   31 May 2013 at 6:54 pm

   They haven’t got 500 party members?

   What the hell is wrong with them?
   • phillip ure 9.1

     31 May 2013 at 7:53 pm

     “..What the hell is wrong with them?..”

     how long have you got..?

     ..phillip ure..
10. Colonial Viper 10

    31 May 2013 at 6:56 pm

    Just what we need, Faux News Koch Bros Neocons funding Lusk and co.
    • kiwicommie 10.1

      31 May 2013 at 7:38 pm

      Didn’t work against Obama, even though 150% of Americans supported Romney. 😉
      • Morrissey 10.1.1

        31 May 2013 at 8:32 pm

        Oh yes. Obama, Man of the People.

        I forgot what a champion of democracy he is.
      • Colonial Viper 10.1.2

        31 May 2013 at 8:37 pm

        Obama has gifted the banks and the oil companies everything they wanted, what is there for a big money corporate not to like?
      • AmaKiwi 10.1.3

        1 June 2013 at 1:31 am

        Love him or hate him, Obama has brains and knows how to organize.

        Labour?
        • xtasy 10.1.3.1

          1 June 2013 at 1:37 am

          Labour, will l try to dissect the brain of Shearer, once he has passesd, and they are taking lessons from Greens how to “organise”, I suppose. Do not stress out the grey matter of the sick and disabled, as it will only cause more harm, I’d say.

          A leader may be found, once in a millineia.
        • Morrissey 10.1.3.2

          1 June 2013 at 7:48 am

          Love him or hate him, Obama has brains…

          That’s a specious statement. Of course he has brains. So did Clinton. So did George W. Bush. So did Bliar. So did John Howard. So does David Cameron. So does John Key. You don’t get to the top of a political machine without having a sharp brain.

          Saying a politician “has brains” is like saying a footballer “has pace”: it’s a given.

          ….and knows how to organize.

          Really? You don’t think that enormous, corporate-funded Democratic Party machine had something to do with it?
          • Draco T Bastard 10.1.3.2.1

            1 June 2013 at 9:21 am

            corporate-funded Democratic Party machine had something to do with it?

            Yep, it’s the funding and the administration that makes a party tick. Labour has the funding, they just don’t have the administration and are seemingly trying to go for the popularity vote. Another indication that they’ve bought the right-wing notion of the great individualistic hero.
          • Vertical Polarity 10.1.3.2.2

            1 June 2013 at 9:46 am

            George W. Bush had brains? He was just a glove-puppet put in place because of who he was, and a sympathetic Supreme Court.

            Sometimes TPTB can support someone with brains enough to do it themselves and know enough not to rock the boat – ie Obama, Cameron, Key – but in the absence of such a candidate they’ll gild a pig and buy him the throne, as in GWB.
11. logie97 11

    31 May 2013 at 6:59 pm

    Have a look at the person behind Dunne in this TVNZ website picture. Is it the party secretary, to whom Petey Boy has delivered a right upper-cut? Just wondering.

    http://images.tvnz.co.nz/tvnz_site_images/politics_news/2013/05/pm_defends_peter_dunne_over_gcsb_leak_claims_1021072525.jpg
12. irascible 12

    31 May 2013 at 7:27 pm

    The Nats have a long history of taking Republican money… the 1975 election campaign comes to mind… their cartoon ads were paid for from the USA apparently. This leak comes as no surprise at all.
    • Pete 12.1

      31 May 2013 at 7:35 pm

      United Future to be born again as United Fruit?
    • kiwicommie 12.2

      1 June 2013 at 6:18 am

      Well keep in mind that the Chicago school (including the likes of Hayek and Friedman) under the wing of the US government at the time, was changing the face of South America with military coups, and flooding the world with neo-liberal ideological crap.
13. SukieDamson 13

    31 May 2013 at 7:28 pm

    Still reeling from this bombshell…

    Dunne had 500 party members?
14. DS 14

    31 May 2013 at 7:53 pm

    Dunne isn’t an independent. United Future would still exist as a political party even if it had one member. The point is that it is no longer a registered political party. You need to be a registered political party to stand candidates for list positions, and to qualify for TV funding. Any party (e.g. the NZ Communist Party, or whatever) can still stand candidates for electorates, registered or not.

    Basically this means that United Future will no longer be a party vote option – I’m unsure if this makes Dunne an automatic overhang MP if he wins his own electorate, or whether he gets treated like an independent MP, in which case the list vote will simply allocate according to 119 MPs.
    • Treetop 14.1

      31 May 2013 at 8:11 pm

      Is there a precedent to the Dunne situation?
      • QoT 14.1.1

        31 May 2013 at 11:50 pm

        Not that I can think of. We’ve had MPs from existing parties go independent and form their own parties afterwards while still sitting as independents (e.g. Kopu, Copeland). But this hasn’t affected proportionality because they didn’t enter Parliament at the election as independents.

        The Alliance had some interesting circumstances during their split, but the party didn’t cease to exist / its MPs weren’t returned as independents.
    • Lanthanide 14.2

      31 May 2013 at 8:22 pm

      He would be treated as an independent MP.
15. Yes 15

    31 May 2013 at 8:26 pm

    Good news for national. They can put a candidate in Dunne seat and one in espom. Both nats candidates well win good conservative seats…more seats in parliament. Majority assured.

    Best news in years
    • gobsmacked 15.1

      31 May 2013 at 8:44 pm

      The stupid is strong in this one.

      Google MMP.
      • kiwicommie 15.1.1

        1 June 2013 at 8:51 am

        ‘Yes’ should google ‘New Zealand election 2011’ as well, as last time Charles Chauvel defeated Katrina Shanks by roughly 6,000 votes, and lost against Dunne by roughly 3000. If Dunne lost it would mean Labour would most likely take the seat, not National.

        Peter Dunne 14,357
        Charles Chauvel 12,965
        Katrina Shanks 6,907
        Gareth Hughes 2,160
        • QoT 15.1.1.1

          1 June 2013 at 11:35 am

          It is a bit more interesting/complex if you look at the party vote:

          National 18,764
          Labour 10,036
          Greens 5,453

          The Hughes + Chauvel vote is roughly the same as the Greens + Labour vote (~15,500), the Shanks + Dunne vote is roughly the same as the National + United Future + NZ First vote (~21,000).

          The 2011 results page for Ohariu is here.
          • kiwicommie 15.1.1.1.1

            2 June 2013 at 2:15 am

            I won’t be voting NZ First again, it was the tactical vote I didn’t enjoy making (especially due to his party’s poor stances on human rights over the years); but I did vote Chauvel in that election, out of concern that if Dunne lost there was a chance of it going to Shanks.
    • the pigman 15.2

      31 May 2013 at 8:47 pm

      It’s been years since I’ve used this acronym, but I’m literally ROFLMAO. I know you lot hate MMP, but this is a whole new level of ignorance…
    • Morrissey 15.3

      1 June 2013 at 7:52 am

      Best news in years.

      Look out—moron about.
16. RedBaronCV 16

    31 May 2013 at 8:29 pm

    I believe the USA has a law about not accepting political donations from non Americans, however that is defined, which surfaced when Obama started receiving massive donations from outside the USA.
    Why do our electoral acts not rule out foreign donors? Shouldn’t all doantions have to come from named citizens, estates of named citizens or at worst NZ companies where New Zealanders are the majority shareholders and can vote on the donation at the AGM.
    • Colonial Viper 16.1

      31 May 2013 at 8:35 pm

      Political operatives like Lusk can accept all the money they want from Republican neocons because Lusk is not a NZ politician nor is he a NZ political party.
      • Yes 16.1.1

        31 May 2013 at 8:39 pm

        Correct. No different from unions running labour campaigns which then become policies
        • the pigman 16.1.1.1

          31 May 2013 at 8:49 pm

          Fuck you’re a laugh.
          • dumrse 16.1.1.1.1

            31 May 2013 at 10:10 pm

            And you Pig, are two balls deep in denial.
            • the pigman 16.1.1.1.1.1

              31 May 2013 at 10:58 pm

              (I do love it when you talk dirty, but) I’m not denying that unions contribute to Labour campaigns, dumrse, I just think it’s side-splittingly funny that Yes thinks that funding by the NZ union movement for the NZ labour party is somehow analogous to foreign corporates bank-rolling PR for a political party so that they can tool a little South Pacific state. This is his “clever little comeback” to posters pointing out the ethical bankruptcy of the National Party and its backers.

              This comes right after Yes has sagely opined that National winning Ohariu from UF and Epsom from Act would give them more seats in parliament and a “majority assured”.

              Definitely a contender for the Tories’ Most Stupid list…
              • Pascal's bookie …

                31 May 2013 at 11:08 pm

                “Definitely a contender for the Tories’ Most Stupid list…”

                Not even close.
            • North 16.1.1.1.1.2

              31 May 2013 at 11:11 pm

              Note the righties getting all snotty when the writing’s on the wall. It’s all turning to shit boys and girls and your foul demeanour proves it. But wait – Sir Kiwi Kim Dotcom – there’s still alot of juice in that boy and dollars to doughnuts he’ll give himself the biggest squeeze at just the right time !
        • karol 16.1.1.2

          31 May 2013 at 8:52 pm

          Yes – really?

          Even if it were true that Unions were running Labour campaigns, there’s a vast difference between unions representing a lot of Kiwis, and the US Republicans, who represent a lot of Americans.

          RBV’s point was about funding coming from outside NZ for NZ political parties. I don’t think CV was actually supporting that foreign funding, just saying it can be done LEGALLY by an operative like Lusk.
          • Yes 16.1.1.2.1

            31 May 2013 at 9:09 pm

            But unions do run labour campaigns and make party donations. God don’t try and tell me there no link
            • mickysavage 16.1.1.2.1.1

              31 May 2013 at 9:12 pm

              Yep.

              One group is foreign based and wants to maximise the rich’s control of the world. The other group is New Zealand based and wants to protect local workers’s wages and conditions.

              Of course they are the same …
              • Yes …

                31 May 2013 at 9:18 pm

                Good you answered my question or statement. Union pull the purse strings in labour.
                • mickysavage …

                  31 May 2013 at 9:25 pm

                  The purse strings resemble a couple of threads of cotton and no there has been no significant union grants of funds as far as I am aware since 1999.

                  But don’t let that trouble your myopic world view. Keep thinking the Engineers Union is just as bad as the Republican party and the fact that one is local and one is based in the US of A is totally irrelevant.
                  • Yes …

                    31 May 2013 at 9:50 pm

                    A scan of donations will hundreds of 000 of dollars from unions to labour. Cheaper to run campaigns than declare a donation
                    • mickysavage …

                      31 May 2013 at 10:05 pm

                      Feck I am really disappointed. You mean that members of the party have been scratching around for years and there was this huge stash of dough somewhere that the party could have used?
                    • Pascal's bookie …

                      31 May 2013 at 10:08 pm

                      It’s no good Micky. Rumbled mate. Now that it’s out that unions have an influence in a Labour party the gig is pretty much u, no wait that’s fucking ridiculous.
                    • mickysavage …

                      31 May 2013 at 10:17 pm

                      You mean PB that the trade union formed the Labour Party out of its desire to improve the plight of the working class?

                      And that since the formation of the party members of the Trade Union movement have been staunch supporters of Labour with the desire that the party improved working conditions?

                      Oh noe, we have all been rumbled …
                    • Yes …

                      31 May 2013 at 10:20 pm

                      Unions run labour
                    • mickysavage …

                      31 May 2013 at 10:27 pm

                      Oh noe …

                      The Labour party is influenced by Unions.

                      Who would have thunk?
                    • Pascal's bookie …

                      31 May 2013 at 10:34 pm

                      Do go on Yes. Tell us more of this stunning shit you’ve found out.

                      Guys, I hope Yes doesn’t find out there are hippies in the Green Party, or that the Maori Party is run by Maori. I just couldn’t handle the revelations.
                    • IrishBill …

                      31 May 2013 at 10:46 pm

                      Damn, and we had been hoping for so long nobody would make the connection between the “labour” movement and the “labour” party. If only we’d had a clever fellow like Lusk to tell us how to keep it on the down low…
                    • farmboy …

                      1 June 2013 at 12:15 pm

                      A while back it was owan glen but even he eventually realized they it was a dead end sunset party
                • Colonial Viper …

                  31 May 2013 at 9:26 pm

                  As opposed to bankers and international corporate boards of directors for National?
                  • logie97 …

                    2 June 2013 at 11:11 am

                    farmboy comes in on the conversation with mention of owan (Owen) glen. Mmmm, wouldn’t mention Glen too often in your dialogue at the moment, farmboy. Seems that most of what Glen gets involved in turns to shit currently.
                • North …

                  31 May 2013 at 11:13 pm

                  Yes……get with the programme……more foul demeanour.
                • Morrissey …

                  1 June 2013 at 8:12 am

                  Good you answered my question or statement.

                  He did more than that; he refuted your ignorant statements thoroughly.

                  Union pull the purse strings in labour.

                  You don’t have a clue.

                  NOTE TO MODERATOR: Lyn, why is this fool tolerated? He knows nothing, and adds nothing to the conversation.
                  • Populuxe1 …

                    1 June 2013 at 8:03 pm

                    Speaking about yourself?
                    • Morrissey …

                      2 June 2013 at 9:57 am

                      Ouch! Ya got me there, ol’ buddy.

                      Got me GOOD.
            • Colonial Viper 16.1.1.2.1.2

              31 May 2013 at 9:12 pm

              We’re talking about foreign donations to non-political party actors in NZ and you bring up idiotic irrelevancies nothing to do with the issue being discussed? Fucking moron.

              Get us a better class of RWNJs please please please

              Oh MS your steady replies always make me look so…reactionary 😛
              • mickysavage …

                31 May 2013 at 9:14 pm

                I have thought that for a while CV.

                All the most effective RWNJs are probably meeting in Cameron’s tree house trying to work out how they are going to respond to tomorrow’s disclosures …
              • mickysavage …

                31 May 2013 at 9:26 pm

                I did not mean that my steady replies make you (CV) look reactionary …

                I was referring to the need for the RWNJ quality to be improved …

                😉
                • Colonial Viper …

                  31 May 2013 at 9:31 pm

                  Indeed, that is the way I chose to read it haha.

                  But thank you kind sir 🙂
              • dumrse …

                31 May 2013 at 10:13 pm

                Judging by your diatribe, the truth hurts.
                • Colonial Viper …

                  31 May 2013 at 10:16 pm

                  Sigh. Yes that must be it.
                  • North …

                    31 May 2013 at 11:28 pm

                    OK team…….we just been busted on Slater Porn by Yes and DumbArse. Time to turn in our knighthoods.
                • mickysavage …

                  31 May 2013 at 10:19 pm

                  dumrse

                  Judging by your name the truth should hurt.

                  How is the meeting in Cameron’s tree hut tonite? Worked out what to do yet?
                  • Pascal's bookie …

                    31 May 2013 at 10:41 pm

                    They’re gonna do a big reveal. They have made a list of all the journos who might be on the Lusk stuff, and assigned crack operatives to each of them. Phone calls will be made and they will push the Lusk story off the pages with the revelation that the Labour party is in cahoots with some unions.
                  • dumrse …

                    31 May 2013 at 10:42 pm

                    Looks like its getting late …..
                    • North …

                      31 May 2013 at 11:20 pm

                      Planet Key where you reside is some hours behind us dumbarse. The sun’s barely over the yardarm at the 19th. Not late at all in your magic land.
        • Colonial Viper 16.1.1.3

          31 May 2013 at 9:09 pm

          Correct. No different from unions running labour campaigns which then become policies

          Unless you are making a reference to foreign American unions like the UAW running the NZ Labour Party which happens to be a NZ registered political party subject to our electoral laws…what the fuck are you on, moron?
      • RedBaronCV 16.1.2

        31 May 2013 at 8:52 pm

        So how is this stopped? Do the people who place the political type ads have to be funded locally or be a locally registered charity or some such?
        • mickysavage 16.1.2.1

          31 May 2013 at 9:06 pm

          State funding of political parties RB. Make it a contest of ideas not of wallets.
          • Colonial Viper 16.1.2.1.1

            31 May 2013 at 9:11 pm

            Do I need to say at this point how absolutely absurdly frakking short sighted and visionless Labour Governments are, with what they choose to spend their political capital on.
            • Matt 16.1.2.1.1.1

              31 May 2013 at 9:20 pm

              That cannot be repeated often enough. It takes a special kind of incompetent to lose to National at this point, but I know Shearer & Co. can pull it off.

              Recently someone made the observation that National had only one electable member, but when the opposition has none, who cares?
              • Colonial Viper …

                31 May 2013 at 9:43 pm

                Deftly snatching defeat from the jaws of victory.
          • RedBaronCV 16.1.2.1.2

            31 May 2013 at 9:17 pm

            I think maybe a little bit of matched funding , so that for each individual donation up to a certain level there is a match of funding. Would this mean that the number of members would count not just the wealth of the members? And maybe a number of members over a particular level? Not sure how to express it but I would struggle to give funds to the so called “kiddie Basher” party -oops – do I mean Colin Craig.

            Still as a start can we at least work out to get rid of republican money, overseas corporate money and what’s his name Ashcroft and whoever funds the SST?
            • mickysavage 16.1.2.1.2.1

              31 May 2013 at 9:22 pm

              Sounds good RB as long as there is a cap.
            • Colonial Viper 16.1.2.1.2.2

              31 May 2013 at 9:22 pm

              Also need to tightly limit the media expenditure/access of all politically active groups and individuals in an election year, not just registered political parties.

              And re-extend the campaign expenditure limitation period from 90 days back up to say 6 months

              And stop all political polls from being published or discussed in the media for 72 hours before election day.
    • paul andersen 16.2

      31 May 2013 at 9:33 pm

      I would say that the act party used david garret as bagman for money given to the senceless sentencing trust by private prison owners in the states.
17. A.Ziffel 17

    31 May 2013 at 9:21 pm

    I’m surprised no one has mentioned the possibility of Dunne having another stint as Minister of Revenue under a Labour led government.
    • Colonial Viper 17.1

      31 May 2013 at 9:33 pm

      Anything to keep that racist beneficiary feeding bastard Hone out
      • farmboy 17.1.1

        1 June 2013 at 12:17 pm

        He thinks your a white motherfucker
        • Colonial Viper 17.1.1.1

          1 June 2013 at 12:20 pm

          And, he knows that you are.
18. Tuna 18

    31 May 2013 at 10:49 pm

    Dunne just changes with the wind. As long as he is offered baubles, he will be in the next government. Key will need him more than vice versa.
19. georgecom 19

    31 May 2013 at 11:25 pm

    Notice seen on lamp posts around Wellington:

    “Lost, one political party. Answers to the name of Future NZ, United NZ or United Future. Last seen sometime in August 2012 at Annual Conference in Auckland. Large reward (from Parliamentry Leaders fund) offered for safe return of desperately needed party. Telephone Peter on 0800 864833 66 388873 (0800 United No Future).”
20. xtasy 20

    1 June 2013 at 12:24 am

    Wow, I am stunned, not Dunned, for sure, this is some development, is it not. I never thought my curse would come true, but apparently black magic is working, here in Aotearoa NZ, indeed!!!

    It was when the final vote was on for the Social Security (Benefit Categories and Work Focus) Amendment Bill, pushed through by the Natzies and Bennett, that I dared to send our dear “friend” of peculiar loyalties a serious email (with absolutely sensitive information), asking him to vote against the bill. He never replied, he ignored it, and now, hey damned, he is paying the damned price for this!!!

    Peter Dunny Boy, get a life, retire now, because Winston also has more ammunition to fire at you next week, mate. Better curl up with your greying curly hair, call it a life in politics, resign and spend the rest of your days writing your annals or “anals”, whatever.

    Get off the chair, get out of your chair, which you no longer deserve, you have been a hanger on, a liability of sorts, for too many of us for far too long. We look forward to an early by-election in Oahiriu, not OHHhairyoooh, please.

    Get yourself shifted mate, you have overstayed your right to suck off the tax payer’s teat for far too long. Good bye, Dunney Boy!
21. xtasy 21

    1 June 2013 at 12:38 am

    Before all you guys and gals get too damned excited, wake up, Labour has been in a stupor, a slumber, led by an incompetent dippo from dippistan, who can barely string two words, let alone a comprehensive sentence together.

    If you really think that in a by-election, to be called short notice, that Labour are “ready”, you need your bloody heads read!! They are fucked, they have wasted one year last year when National and Key were stuffing up galore, like stuff ups served on a silver platter, and Shearer and Labour were too incompetent to even get the most basic challenge thrown at them.

    The new year now has had Nats gear up again, Key fight it out, and Shearer is losing traction.

    It is time to get rid of the man, and stop your damned stupid false sympathies and crap, please. You are hanging onto a total loser!

    Meanwhile Key is getting away with damned murder!

    Now if Dunne stuffs up and has to resign, what the fuck will happen? Labour are totally unprepared, even the Greens are, as they thought nothing will need to be done before 2014. Shearer will shit himself, and he will stuff up day in and out during an election campaign.

    With the shit that happened over the last months and especially two years, Labour should have got a leader, got a team, and got their shit together, so if a by-election happened, they would hit the road with tyres or rubber hitting the road while they are running.

    They are NOT, because Shearer and Labour caucus stuffed up, and will never win an election now. So that allows the Nats to even win another election, should Dunne or Banks drop out. How fucking useless can any opposition be to allow this to happen?

    F*** Labour and Shearer for this scenario, you are real losers!
    • Arfamo 21.1

      1 June 2013 at 1:50 pm

      David Shearer is the right man for the job of leading Labour into obscurity.

      They need to urgently get on to the job of picking the right person to lead them into government.
    • Colonial Viper 21.2

      1 June 2013 at 1:57 pm

      Now if Dunne stuffs up and has to resign, what the fuck will happen? Labour are totally unprepared, even the Greens are, as they thought nothing will need to be done before 2014.

      Well, it does seem like rather bad staff work from Labour to have burnt Charles Chauvel off.
22. Yes 22

    1 June 2013 at 5:57 am

    How niave are you guys..unions have 20% of the leadershell vote tell me that is NOT funded influence. The %age points of the vote include from rank and file..ummm union members can double dip on the leadership vote.

    Labour leadership = unions vote + union funds

    Good grief sounds like the stuff you are talking about in USA
    • One Anonymous Knucklehead 22.1

      1 June 2013 at 7:22 am

      🙄
    • karol 22.2

      1 June 2013 at 7:41 am

      Now… to repeat, one word at a time….

      New. Zealand. unions. representing. kiwi. workers. are. not. the. same. as. US. Republican. donors. representing. powerful. Americans.

      Did you follow it this time, Yes?
      • One Anonymous Knucklehead 22.2.1

        1 June 2013 at 8:42 am

        The Labour Party is funded by New Zealanders, and this is a matter of open public knowledge, and has been since its inception.

        The National Party is funded by foreign business interests, and they keep very very quiet about it.

        No difference at all 😉
        • Yes 22.2.1.1

          1 June 2013 at 11:59 am

          Funded by new zealanders labour party? Seriously! Look a bit more closely at the donation and labour party accounts
          • Colonial Viper 22.2.1.1.1

            1 June 2013 at 1:58 pm

            And what do they reveal to you, Mr Conspiracy Theorist?

            (haha see what I did there)
        • kiwicommie 22.2.1.2

          2 June 2013 at 12:46 am

          Maybe someone should let the Democrats know that the National party is just a Republican party fifth column. 😉
          • Colonial Viper 22.2.1.2.1

            2 June 2013 at 1:03 am

            maybe someone should quietly let the Republicans know how many National MPs are bleeding heart gay marriage loving infidels.
            • kiwicommie 22.2.1.2.1.1

              2 June 2013 at 2:12 am

              I doubt they care about people outside the US, so long as they support neoliberal economics and bleed people die, kinda like how tv preachers don’t care so long as you send them money and claim to be christian.
    • millsy 22.3

      2 June 2013 at 12:13 am

      And what’s your problem with that? Unless you want to kick the unions out of Labour and have it become a right(er) wing party.
23. Jenny 23

    1 June 2013 at 8:24 am

    It can’t be all that hard to sign up 500 members. All it takes is a handful of committed activists, going around all their friends and contacts.

    What this says is that United Future do not have any, or hardly any, active members at all.

    What this means, is that come election time Peter Dunne will have no one to erect his bill boards, or knock on doors, or letterbox leaflets. Will National Party members step in to fill the gap?
    • One Anonymous Knucklehead 23.1

      1 June 2013 at 8:37 am

      Perhaps there’ll be a grass-roots surge of people who stand for nothing.
    • Treetop 23.2

      1 June 2013 at 3:21 pm

      “It can’t be that hard to sign up 500 members.”

      What does Banks have that Dunne does not have?

      Can a voter be a member of two parties?
      • Murray Olsen 23.2.1

        1 June 2013 at 10:04 pm

        Banks probably has very little now. ACT had the socially inept libertarians of ACT on Campus, but Banks stands for everything they profess to be against. Putting him in as ACT leader was possibly the only thing that wouldn’t have killed off the party quicker than beginning meetings with a waiata and the ceremonial entry of a framed copy of Te Tiriti.
24. vto 24

    1 June 2013 at 8:38 am

    What this does is yet again highlight the lack of credibility that so many in Parliament have.

    No credibility.
25. ianmac 25

    1 June 2013 at 9:30 am

    The President of UF said variously that they have been working on the membership problem for a month, for a couple of months, for quite a while. I interpret that there efforts have stretched back for perhaps a year?
26. Lanthanide 26

    1 June 2013 at 9:49 am

    Interestingly, Jim Anderon managed to retain enough members for Jim Anderton’s Progressives to serve as a registered party in all elections it contested. Got close to getting a 2nd MP one time, too.

    When I lived in Wigram, one time I got a phone poll asking for the party of the candidate I’d vote for. I said “Jim Anderton” and they said “no no, the party, not the candidate” so I said “Jim Anderton’s Progressives” and they were confused. Idiot.
    • Colonial Viper 26.1

      1 June 2013 at 2:01 pm

      Delightful

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