Dunne and dusted

Written By: - Date published: 1:09 pm, August 21st, 2017 - 140 comments
Categories: election 2017, national/act government, peter dunne - Tags:

There goes half of National’s carefully engineered electorate advantage. Peter Dunne has announced that he is not going to contest the next election.

From Radio New Zealand:

United Future leader and Ōhāriu MP Peter Dunne will resign from Parliament at the election, saying voters in his electorate want a change.

  • Mr Dunne has held the Wellington electorate since 1984.
  • A 1 News Colmar Brunton poll released on 13 August showed Labour candidate Greg O’Connor 14 points ahead, with 48 percent of the vote compared to Mr Dunne’s 34 percent.
  • Mr Dunne, in his statement today, said his “best wishes for the future” went to Ōhāriu-based National Party list MP Brett Hudson.

This will clearly put the Government into panic.  Perhaps they decided that Hudson has the best chance of winning the seat?

Update:  The text of Dunne’s statement follows.

The current political environment is extremely volatile and unpredictable. However, I have concluded, based on recent polling, and other soundings I have been taking over the last few weeks, that, the volatility and uncertainty notwithstanding, there is now a mood amongst Ōhāriu voters for a change of MP, which is unlikely to alter. This shift in voter sentiment is quite at variance with polling and other data I have seen throughout the year, upon which I had based my earlier decision to seek re-election for a 12th term as MP for Ōhāriu. While I am naturally extremely disappointed after 33 years of service at this apparent change of feeling, I recognise and understand it, and respect absolutely the electorate’s prerogative to feel that way.

I have therefore decided that it is time for me to stand aside, so the people of Ōhāriu can elect a new electorate MP. Consequently, after much consideration and discussion with those closest to me, I am announcing today that I will not be putting forward my nomination for election to the next Parliament. I do so with considerable reluctance, but I have always understood that holding public office is a temporary privilege granted by the people, and can never be taken for granted.

I have thoroughly enjoyed serving the Ōhāriu electorate in its various forms since 1984. I thank my constituents, my supporters, my Party, and all those staff members who have worked so loyally and professionally alongside me over the years, but above all, I pay huge thanks to my wife Jennifer, my sons, James and Alastair, raised in the heat of politics, and my entire family for their loyal support, patience and encouragement for so long.

I am especially proud to have worked alongside successive National- and Labour-led Governments in the collaborative environment of MMP, and to have had the privilege of serving as first an Under-Secretary and then a Minister under seven different Prime Ministers for just on fifteen years. I am very proud of the many changes I have been able to make in my portfolios over the years to make New Zealand a better place in which to live and raise a family.

Over the last three years alone, I have been very pleased to lead the work to modernise New Zealand’s drug policy towards a stronger health focus; and to make fluoridation of drinking water more widespread. I was delighted to establish Fire and Emergency New Zealand which unified our urban and rural fire services in the biggest reform of our fire services in 70 years. I was also very pleased to have been able to bring back 10 year passports. The D5 group of the world’s most digitally advanced nations meets in New Zealand early next year. Having overseen New Zealand help form the D5 group in 2014, I will be very sorry not to be chairing that meeting. Lastly, I have enjoyed being part of the continuing drive to make the taonga of the National Library and the National Archives more widely available to all New Zealanders.

Ōhāriu has been a very large part of my life. I have lived continuously in the area for more than forty years. Jennifer and I raised our family in Ōhāriu. It is our home. Working for the community and its people over the last 33 years has, at all times, been an absolute delight. I will miss hugely that direct engagement with so many aspects of the life of our community, and I will never forget the huge honour Ōhāriu gave me by electing me, first as a young 30 year old, and then for the next ten elections after that.

But good things cannot last forever. Now it is time for me to put all that behind me, take the election hoardings down, say goodbye to Parliament without bitterness or regret, and get on with life.

Finally, my thanks and best wishes for the future go to Brett Hudson MP, National’s List MP based in Ōhāriu, for the support he has shown me throughout this year.”

140 comments on “Dunne and dusted ”

  • Comments are now closed

  1. Nick 1
    21 August 2017 at 1:11 pm

    Too hot in the kitchen…. Go Labour Greens

  2. James Thrace 2
    21 August 2017 at 1:13 pm

    No chance.

    Dunne went out on his terms rather than be a loser. Fair’nuff.

    O’Connor might not win Ohariu.

    Combined 2014 vote in Ohariu

    Dunne + Hudson (Nats) = 19,689

    Woodley (Greens) + Andersen (Labour) = 15,623

    Party Vote

    National = 18810

    Labour = 8771

    Green = 5623

    So it’s a very National leaning electorate by party vote. Who knows though, perhaps O’Connor being ex police may appeal to the large numbers of Police staff that live in the electorate.

    All in all though, I doubt that there’s that many soft National voters who will back O’Connor instead of Hudson with Dunne dusted.

    • mickysavage 2.1
      21 August 2017 at 1:16 pm

      MMP tho. Hudson winning this seat has no effect on proportionality. He may win the seat but it will not change the overall vote. Dunne meantime getting the seat and then supporting National played havoc with the concept of proportionality. He really was a free seat to the Government.

      • Enough is Enough 2.1.1
        21 August 2017 at 1:27 pm

        He was never going to be a factor in 2017.

        National need Winston to give them the nod. And part of that deal would have been Winston kicking Dunne to touch.

        So in the unlikely event that Winston ever went with English, Dunne was not going to be included.

        He probably realised that he was likely to lose, and if he did win he would be a one man band way up the back of parliament somewhere.

      • Matthew Whitehead 2.1.2
        21 August 2017 at 1:36 pm

        Actually Hudson winning the seat is now the ideal scenario as it prevents Guns O’Connor becoming minister for Police. Please all join Hipsters for Hudson immediately.

        • xanthe 2.1.2.1
          21 August 2017 at 4:15 pm

          anything to prevent o’connor from gaining any influence is a good thing, will be much easier for ardern to knife him if he does not have a seat. She will have a big enough task rolling back the self serving neolibs without o’connor as well

        • Eco maori 2.1.2.2
          22 August 2017 at 5:08 am

          Don’t you get It the justice system does not want someone who knows how I works like
          O’CONNOR He will clean it up anyone else will be just a puppet that is they the got Dune to step aside come on
          It’s not rocket science the justice department has a big state funded lobbying group

          • Matthew Whitehead 2.1.2.2.1
            22 August 2017 at 11:41 am

            O’Connor is just going to make the justice system more punitive. He has been part of the tough-on-crime lobby for years. There is no reason to expect he would be a good or even tolerable Minister for Police, we’d just end up with the same sort of rubbish policies there that we get under National and are promised by NZ First. Labour actually out-bid National in their Add-More-Officers-Off this campaign.

            What we need is genuine reform centred around crime prevention, community policing, and rehabilitation.

      • AB 2.1.3
        21 August 2017 at 1:53 pm

        Exactly Micky – doesn’t really matter now whether O’Connor wins or loses. Also – Dunne strikes me as a coward for not wanting to face losing. I’ve seen enough of his smug condescension to want to watch him lose.

    • swordfish 2.2
      21 August 2017 at 2:38 pm

      You ignore the latest data, Mr Thrace

      Colmar Brunton Ōhāriu Poll (Aug 2017)

      Ōhāriu Party Vote
      …………. 2017 CB Poll …….. 2014 Election …… Diff
      Lab …………. 35 ………………………. 24 …………… + 11
      Green ……… 12 ………………………. 15 ……………. – 3
      L+G …………. 47 ………………………. 39 ……………. + 8

      NZF …………. 4 ………………………… 5 ………………. – 1
      Oppo ……… 51 ………………………. 44 …………….. + 7

      Nat …………. 46 ………………………. 50 …………….. – 4
      UF/M/ACT.. 1.2 ………………………. 2 …………….. – 0.8
      Govt ……….. 47 ………………………. 52 ……………. – 5

      Cons ………… 0 ……………………….. 3 ………………. – 3
      Right ……….. 47 ……………………… 55 ……………… – 8

      (TOP 1.8)

      So 8 point Right to Left Ōhāriu Party Vote swing since 2014

      And Poll conducted before full Jacindamania momentum. Things are changing rapidly, babe. You’re not In Guatemala now, Dr Ropata.

      .

      Colmar Brunton Ōhāriu Poll (Aug 2017)
      Ōhāriu Candidate Vote

      Labour
      Greg O’Connor 48%

      United Future
      Peter Dunne 34%

      National
      Brett Hudson 14%

      .

      Colmar Brunton Ōhāriu Poll (Aug 2017)

      2014 Dunne Candidate-Voters

      63 per cent would vote Dunne again
      27 per cent switching to O’Connor
      10 per cent picking another candidate

      • James Thrace 2.2.1
        21 August 2017 at 2:59 pm

        Thanks for this SF. Didn’t realise this useful dataset was available.

        Perhaps, just perhaps there is something in the air tonight.

      • Eco maori 2.2.2
        22 August 2017 at 5:28 am

        Yep and National are pulling all the cheating tricks in the book to cling to power I Put forward a policy to have every one in the justice system DRUG TESTED after all they have a lot of people lives in there hands so we should no that they are not under the influence of drugs

    • Draco T Bastard 2.3
      21 August 2017 at 4:01 pm

      Dunne went out on his terms rather than be a loser. Fair’nuff.

      Nah,

      Finally, my thanks and best wishes for the future go to Brett Hudson MP, National’s List MP based in Ōhāriu, for the support he has shown me throughout this year.”

      By the looks of things – National pushed.

  3. Sabine 3
    21 August 2017 at 1:13 pm

    good riddance.

    Legacy? People dying of synthetic weed, and a dying woman denied a natural remedy to her pain cause …..insert what ever reason this guy could come up with.

  4. weka 4
    21 August 2017 at 1:13 pm

    Good.

    It’s a very volatile election, with potential for lots of different things to happen.

    My reckon, that Labour and the Greens should go hard to govern without NZF and possibly rely on the Māori Party instead. That would require Labour pushing some policies that appeal to NZF voters e.g. on asset sales, or foreign land ownership.

    • kauri 4.1
      21 August 2017 at 1:36 pm

      Good luck. NZF own the immigration issue and Labour helped get us into the mess we are in. The Greens had promise once upon a time with a good population policy – but that’s on the back burner as they think 1% population growth indefinitely is ok (they need to learn the law of exponential growth no matter how small the exponent is…)

      • weka 4.1.1
        21 August 2017 at 1:47 pm

        Key principles of the Green Party policy on population,

        New Zealand’s population should not exceed the ecological carrying capacity of the country

        Uneven regional distribution of the population will be remedied through regional development measures

        Informed decisions about family size and spacing will be made by the parents concerned

        A stable population is desirable to minimise negative impacts on infrastructure and resources

        https://www.greens.org.nz/page/population-policy

        What is NZF’s policy on population?

        • kauri 4.1.1.1
          21 August 2017 at 1:51 pm

          Yes I know it’s still in their website – but their policy and dialogue on immigration negates it.
          You are right that NZF does not have a specific policy on population – and they should. Every party should.

          • weka 4.1.1.1.1
            21 August 2017 at 1:53 pm

            How so?

            • kauri 4.1.1.1.1.1
              21 August 2017 at 1:56 pm

              As I said continued 1% population growth from immigration, as stated by James Shaw, is unsustainable in the long term.

              • weka …
                21 August 2017 at 2:23 pm

                I think you are confusing population and immigration. Shaw talked about a 1% cap. That’s an upper limit not an imperative to increase.

                I’m all for a steady state economy and stabilising the population. I quite regularly challenge people to look at what the carrying capacity is of the NZ’s land and sea base, most people haven’t even thought about it.

                At some point the Greens will have to front up on that, but my understanding is that they don’t think we’ve reached that point yet. But please do tell me what the sustainable population policy is of NZF because I was under the impression that they just objected to foreigners, not population increase per se.

    • roy cartland 4.2
      21 August 2017 at 1:38 pm

      I’m with your there. MP might not have been particularly effectual lately, but with L/G they would be able to get a few of their more desirable ideas out. At least you know what you’re getting with them, unlike NZF.

  5. Muttonbird 5
    21 August 2017 at 1:14 pm

    A nice retirement beckons by the fire, leafing through his collection of Andrea Vance pictures.

    • marty mars 5.1
      21 August 2017 at 1:18 pm

      Lol

      I was thinking his audacity of pretend leading a pretend party – what sort of twisty tales need to be told to reconcile that one in your head? – perhaps explains how he’s lasted this long.

  6. Robert Guyton 6
    21 August 2017 at 1:18 pm

    Dunne is doing a Key, who knew a crashing loss was coming; *”Jump, Pete, jump or you’ll get mangled when we hit”
    *Voice of Pete’s inner-elf

  7. McFlock 7
    21 August 2017 at 1:20 pm

    This is beginning to look like a National Party train wreck…

    • bwaghorn 7.1
      21 August 2017 at 1:39 pm

      22% here we come . english found the nats true base once before he may find it again

  8. weka 8
    21 August 2017 at 1:21 pm

    btw micky, that photo is great, but priceless having it on the front page chopping off Dunne’s head. Actual lol.

    edit, bugger, I see you fixed it 😉

  9. Ad 9
    21 August 2017 at 1:21 pm

    Swordfish notes elsewhere:

    Colmar Brunton Ōhāriu Poll

    Labour
    Greg O’Connor 48%

    United Future
    Peter Dunne 34%

    National
    Brett Hudson 14%

    34 + 14 = 48%

    (not that I think Dunne’s remaining vote will go entirely to Hudson mind you – but (despite O’Connor’s momentum) could tighten things up just a tad)

    • mickysavage 9.1
      21 August 2017 at 1:22 pm

      You have to wonder about the electability of someone who has actively said they do not want people’s votes for the past two elections

      • Muttonbird 9.1.1
        21 August 2017 at 1:29 pm

        He’ll have to send out another letter telling Nat voters what to do next. Steven Joyce mustn’t be confident they can think for themselves.

        • Ad 9.1.1.1
          21 August 2017 at 1:33 pm

          That is too hilarious.

          O’Connor’s team should just mock the crap out of National’s first letter – hell just read it out every public meeting they have.

        • Matthew Whitehead 9.1.1.2
          21 August 2017 at 1:38 pm

          I think he still wants to lose because they know O’Connor is controversial, but now he doesn’t have the excuse of Dunne to give to voters, lol.

          • Dspare 9.1.1.2.1
            21 August 2017 at 2:02 pm

            Last election’s split voting shows that Dunne got 59% of the National party voters’ electoral vote, compared to the Hudson’s (National candidate then and now) 29%. The party vote was 18,810 National to Labour’s 8,771.

            The GP were a closish third on 5,623 and went mostly to Anderson, I don’t know if they’ll be as keen on O’Connor (TOP’s Doube might be more appealing). NZF’s 1,781 also favoured the labour candidate to Dunne, but not as much and they have Close as an electoral candidate this time. The Conservatives got a surprising amount of votes; 1,118, who knows what those voters will do this time?

            http://archive.electionresults.govt.nz/electionresults_2014/elect-splitvote-36.html

            I’d say that O’Connor is now facing a real uphill battle in Ōhāriu, and at 41 on the Labour list is unlikely to get in that way.

            [ this is a slightly expanded version of a comment I made earlier on OM]

            • Matthew Whitehead 9.1.1.2.1.1
              21 August 2017 at 2:47 pm

              Well Bill English says they’re going to try and win Ōhāriu now, so either I’ve underestimated their strategic nous or there’s something else behind that. It could just be the usual National and Labour obsession with electorates, even though this contest is thoroughly irrelevant given that it’s quite possible both will get in off the list.

      • Ovid 9.1.2
        21 August 2017 at 1:40 pm

        Do you think he’ll send out another letter rescinding his previous one?

      • RedBaronCV 9.1.3
        21 August 2017 at 8:42 pm

        If you had seen him at electorate meetings , it might be fair to say that he was selected for his lack of ability to attract a personal vote??
        There are attractive candidates and then there are attractive candidates…

        Maybe the Nacts pulled the money plug – IIRC last time they gave him the whole $30000 that a candidate can spend.

    • mikesh 9.2
      21 August 2017 at 2:09 pm

      He has been quite popular in the electorate so there were probably many Labour supporters voting for him. So it´s likely that not all of his support will go to Hudson.

  10. Booker 10
    21 August 2017 at 1:22 pm

    This seems like a behind-the-scenes discussion was had with his overlords, the National party, and they decided that they had a better chance of winning Ohariu without vote-splitting between Dunne and the National candidate. Latest polls show if all the Dunne votes went to the National candidate it would be a close seat. So the gnats ditched him.

    • Matthew Whitehead 10.1
      21 August 2017 at 2:53 pm

      No, National were behind Dunne 100%, as they get an overhang seat if he’s in, and nothing for winning the electorate themselves if he loses. Thus will definitely be unwelcome news and it’s even more bad for National because Dunne is the only one of their current support partners who’s ever gone into coalition with Peters before, so it damages their ability to govern with New Zealand First.

      • Booker 10.1.1
        21 August 2017 at 4:43 pm

        Yeah but since it was looking like Dunne was going to lose, Labour were in line to swoop up that electorate seat by every poll out. Hence the overhang seat was gone. With Dunne gone and less vote-splitting, National will be looking to at least still get the electorate seat.

        • Matthew Whitehead 10.1.1.1
          22 August 2017 at 11:37 am

          Oh, yeah, I think that’s probably part of their reasoning now he’s gone, yeah, but they were quite happy to gamble on Dunne maybe-losing until he decided to resign, and I think the hints would have started earlier that they intended to withdraw support from him if that had been the case.

  11. millsy 11
    21 August 2017 at 1:26 pm

    I cannot say I am sorry to see the guy go. Had United Future not won 8 seats back in 2002, we would have had more progressive left wing initiaves from Helen Clark’s government. Peter Dunne can take more credit than most others with Lab5 hugging the Blairite centre ground.

    In saying that, we was one of the more pro-choice voices in Parliament, plus he opposed charter schools, on the ground that our education system is decentralised as it is.

  12. CLEANGREEN 12
    21 August 2017 at 1:26 pm

    Peter Dunne;

    He is responsible for more deaths and Addiction to drugs than any other MP except Bill English with his tightly controlled slow bleeding of the middle class and his liking for attrition and austerity.

    Good bye Peter & Take Joyce, Collins, Paula, Amy and Bill with you so we can all breathe better and start to repair the mess you all left us in.

  13. Bearded Git 13
    21 August 2017 at 1:26 pm

    Volatile election ….run away …run away..

  14. Upnorth 14
    21 August 2017 at 1:33 pm

    National will win this seat (just).
    Plays nicely into nat nzf government.

    I do feel the tax issues will hurt labour once the adverts come out.

    Close election but all the numbers still say we are a centre right country

    • One Anonymous Bloke 14.1
      21 August 2017 at 2:26 pm

      😆

      Who are you trying to convince?

    • WILD KATIPO 14.2
      21 August 2017 at 3:00 pm

      Sad day for National.

      Oh dear, how sad, nevermind. – YouTube
      you tube▶ 0:06

    • Matthew Whitehead 14.3
      21 August 2017 at 3:08 pm

      If every single Dunne voter goes over to Brett Hudson, and nobody gets discouraged voters from the idea of a Dunne-O’Connor contest, then that puts O’Connor and Hudson in a statistical tie. (the polling says an actual tie, but we don’t know that it is one for sure- either of them could be ahead in that scenario)

      In reality, Hudson won’t get every single Dunne voter, but he might pick up people who were holding their nose for O’Connor to get Dunne out, just because they don’t like O’Connor. It’s not as relevant with Dunne, as they’re both in quite winnable list positions now for their parties- it would take a shift back to the Greens to dump O’Connor, or a general shift in electorate contests towards Labour that shortens their number of List MPs, but there’s also the consideration of what happens to him after the election: If he can’t win Ōhāriu without Dunne, does he advance into the Labour caucus? Does he get to be Minister of Police as some were speculating, or does that go to Nash? Does he end up being de-selected in 2020? It’s worth O’Connor losing just for those chances, IMO, as Labour places heavy emphasis on winning electorate contests in advancing in the Party.

      • xanthe 14.3.1
        21 August 2017 at 4:21 pm

        well i can assure you a significant number of labour list voters will not be voting for o’connor. this is one situation where personalities DO matter.

        • Matthew Whitehead 14.3.1.1
          22 August 2017 at 11:38 am

          It’s not just personalities. While Ōhāriu is a wealthy electorate, it’s not entirely a conservative electorate, in fact, overall I would say it’s quite liberal. O’Connor was a bad mismatch who was just riding sentiment against Dunne to victory before this, and it’s his values that are the concerning part.

      • weka 14.3.2
        22 August 2017 at 11:55 am

        Minister of Police, Nash or O’Connor, neither is a pleasant thought. How about they give it to one of the Māori women MPs?

        • Matthew Whitehead 14.3.2.1
          23 August 2017 at 4:47 pm

          I would love that, but I can’t see them giving Police to a reformer. They want to get the “tuff on crime” vote. =/

          • Macro 14.3.2.1.1
            23 August 2017 at 5:02 pm

            And how many women MPs will there be in the next Parliament? Even if it is a Labour led Govt – women are noticable by their absence in Labour’s line up apart from Ardern. If The Green’s bring in 12 MPs total; the 6 to 7 women Green MPs will almost double the number on the Govt benches.
            Dr Liz Gordon has an excellent post on this topic here

            • Matthew Whitehead 14.3.2.1.1.1
              29 August 2017 at 6:08 pm

              In terms of government, it would be majority female MPs for the first time ever if it were Labour + Greens or Labour + Greens + Māori Party. Would have to do the maths on how it stands if they need NZ First but expect it to be close to equality but no actual cigar.

              • Macro …
                29 August 2017 at 8:02 pm

                Sorry Matthew But can’t see how you get that figure – the majority of the women on Labours list are below Claire Curran at 23. There are only 7 women above her. MP would be evenly spread Marama, and Troy (supposing 2) and as for NZ First I think they release their list on thursday.

    • UncookedSelachimorpha 14.4
      21 August 2017 at 5:32 pm

      So we can expect disingenuous “Tax is Theft” bullshit from National.

    • KJT 14.5
      29 August 2017 at 9:02 pm

      Why do National pretend to be socialist every election? If we are a right wing country.

  15. millsy 15
    21 August 2017 at 1:35 pm

    Fun fact: Assuming Winston Peters makes it back to Parliament, he will be the only MP who was there before the 1990 election.

  16. McFlock 16
    21 August 2017 at 1:45 pm

    FINALLY: hair today, gone tomorrow…
    👿

  17. Philj 17
    21 August 2017 at 1:57 pm

    Smart move Nats. What is the size of Bill English’s boot? Leading a United Party of one MP is his ‘sole’ accomplishment? Good bye Pete – The MP who brought planking into NZ politics!

  18. swordfish 18
    21 August 2017 at 2:04 pm

    2014 % Candidate-Voting DUNNE
    (excluding Parties with less than 500 Party-votes in Ōhāriu)

    National Party-voters 59%
    Conservative Party-voters 34%

    NZF Party-voters 22%

    Labour Party-voters 9%
    Green Party-voters 9%

    Colmar Brunton Ōhāriu Poll (Aug 2017)

    2014 Dunne Candidate-Voters

    63 per cent would vote Dunne again
    27 per cent switching to O’Connor
    10 per cent picking another candidate.

  19. Brendan 19
    21 August 2017 at 2:21 pm

    So what will become of United Future? For the last 3 terms the party has been a one-man National puppet. The share of their vote has dropped for the last four consecutive elections, and from 2011 to 2014 the part lost two-thirds of its party vote from 13443 to 4533. Then in 2013 the party was de-registered for not having the required members. I bet in the panic the National machinations quickly registered some buddies for United Future to keep them on life support.

    Will the party even both with the effort and expense of running candidates, or even being on the ballot for the party vote? Surely Dunne (I mean National) was the life-support that kept the party from dying a natural death. Can they actually go on without him?

    Fun fact: the Aotearoa Legalise Cannabis Party got more votes than United Future in 2014. When the single-issue stoner party has more votes than your party, you know, soon your, time is up.

  20. swordfish 20
    21 August 2017 at 3:07 pm

    So what will become of United Future?

    I’m hoping Mr Pete George will step up. Cometh the Hour, cometh the Man

    What d’ya reckon, Pete ?

  21. Kevin 21
    21 August 2017 at 3:22 pm

    How strange.

    To decide to no longer contest the Ohariu seat because the writing is on the wall is one thing, but to then endorse the candidate for a totally different political party?

    How strange.

  22. Tanz 22
    21 August 2017 at 4:41 pm

    Yay, he forgot his once much flaunted common sense long ago. Am so looking forward to a National/Act/NZ First govt, as the MSM never dares reports. Roll on the big day. The new boss same as the old boss., go Bill.

  23. Bearded Git 23
    21 August 2017 at 5:01 pm

    Peter Dunne: “He’s also been a quiet protector of the environment, impeding National’s efforts to gut the RMA for years (until the Māori Party finally sold us all out earlier this year).”

    This taken from norightturn blog. It is true. Let nobody forget on 23rd September that the Maori Party supported legislation that will allow NZ’s landscapes to be desecrated by development.

    http://norightturn.blogspot.co.nz/2017/08/includebad-dunne-pun.html

    • Mrs Brillo 23.1
      21 August 2017 at 5:51 pm

      When he was Assoc. Minister for the Environment (?Lange? and/or just Palmer administrations?) he worked hard at the construction stage of the Resource Management Act and did not want to see its protective clauses watered down so that developers and miners could make more money.
      I found him good to work with – reasonable, quick on the uptake and a good communicator. Wish he’d stuck with Labour, to be honest.

  24. Tanz 24
    21 August 2017 at 5:04 pm

    Absolutely. They are the natural partners of National. Now that the Greens have killed themselves off, who do Labour have? NZ First not. Fun so far, far more fun than 2014.
    Billy English, what a star! Popcorn at the ready and three more years!

    • One Anonymous Bloke 24.1
      21 August 2017 at 5:06 pm

      Delusional about the Greens too. I’m going to enjoy your humiliation.

      • Tanz 24.1.1
        21 August 2017 at 5:10 pm

        National are in the lead, OAB, National. I did not see a misprint…

        • One Anonymous Bloke 24.1.1.1
          21 August 2017 at 5:19 pm

          RNZ’s poll of polls is giving them an 0.2% lead over Labour/Greens. That being so, only a fool would be confident of the result.

          You are that fool: delusional about NZF and ACT being able to work together, delusional about the Greens polled support.

          And ripe for well-earned ridicule.

          • Anne 24.1.1.1.1
            21 August 2017 at 5:33 pm

            Tanz is so thick, she hasn’t realized its 2017 and MMP.

            • Tanz 24.1.1.1.1.1
              21 August 2017 at 5:50 pm

              And Labour’s MMP partners will be?? For once, MMP is working better for the right! By the way, I do have an honours degree…

              • Muttonbird …
                21 August 2017 at 5:53 pm

                …in trolling?

              • Anne …
                21 August 2017 at 6:17 pm

                I do have an honours degree…

                Well if that is correct then the standard of qualifications have plummeted to an all time low. Time for a Labour led government to resurrect those standards!

                • Tanz …
                  21 August 2017 at 9:51 pm

                  Oh, the nasty, nasty left never does change. May you stay in opposition for another ten years, at least! This site as always admonishes free speech, when it does not endorse the commie left world view.

                  • Muttonbird …
                    21 August 2017 at 9:58 pm

                    What a pathetic post from someone who supposedly holds a degree. I agree with Anne, the quality of graduate has plummeted under this government.

                    • Tanz …
                      21 August 2017 at 10:14 pm

                      Key has just been awarded a honorary doctorate has he not. How fantastic is that, and English holds several degrees. How is that for soaring the heights of greatness. How very admirable!

              • One Anonymous Bloke …
                21 August 2017 at 7:26 pm

                ??

                ?????

                ??????????

                The more question marks you add, the more obvious your inability to read becomes. Your delusions about the Greens are delusional, so hello Earth to fuckwit: they’ll be one of Labour’s coalition partners.

              • Kevin …
                22 August 2017 at 1:54 pm

                I have Trade Cert, a much higher qualification for political discussions.

    • greywarshark 24.2
      21 August 2017 at 5:11 pm

      you sound as if you are making sense Tanz but seeing its you it might be that there has been lipstick applied to the swine.

  25. AB 25
    21 August 2017 at 5:05 pm

    15 years on from that day in 2002 when the worm soared skyward whenever Peter Dunne said “common sense”, it has finally turned.

  26. repateet 26
    21 August 2017 at 5:06 pm

    I see Kiwiblog is not daunted with the announcement, carrying on it’s business as chief publicity and propaganda machine for National.

    The tone is getting more acidic.

    Indications are that in the Farrar house when results go the right way it won’t be the well publicised little one throwing toys out of the cot.

    • Muttonbird 26.1
      21 August 2017 at 5:14 pm

      DP Farrar had started using ‘Taxcinda’ to describe Ardern. Sounds bitter and fearful. I hope Bill runs with it.

      DP Farrar says she’s promised ‘lots of new taxes’. I don’t recall her promising any new taxes.

  27. greywarshark 27
    21 August 2017 at 5:33 pm

    I think that Peter Dunne’s popularity might partly have been because he is willing to fool about a bit dressed up as a leprechaun. Might have had the name of a good sort, likes a laugh, takes the right things seriously, but not one of those uptight politicians. I think that was the general feeling about Jonkey too.

    Might be something to bear in mind Greens. Do a bit of entertaining when on stage, just a bit of music from locals before you come on, you don’t need to try magic and pull rabbits out of top hats. But you could try on a hat for wisdom like the one from Harry Potter, and it might tell you how you are doing in the polls, and which House will be on which side of the Parleyment.

  28. OncewasTim 28
    21 August 2017 at 5:35 pm

    Does anyone know why Dunne is so bitter and twisted with Labour? Or was it that he knew that they knew what a pratt he is?

    • Muttonbird 28.1
      21 August 2017 at 5:38 pm

      I know. It’s because Labour is concerned with providing a fair go for all Kiwis, not just rich Karori folk.

    • Ad 28.2
      21 August 2017 at 6:56 pm

      Goes back to the origin of MMP:
      United were the rejects from both National and Labour.

  29. mosa 29
    21 August 2017 at 6:53 pm

    Peter the prostitute ( he will go with anyone ) has the seen the writing on the wall.

    Funny how an an impending electoral defeat sharpens the mind.

    Does that mean U.F is finished…..probably.

    • Muttonbird 29.1
      21 August 2017 at 7:13 pm

      We can only hope so. There’s no better definition of ‘dead wood’ than Peter Dunne.

  30. outofbed 30
    21 August 2017 at 7:08 pm

    Strange Guy
    Went to a function in Wellington a few years ago
    My partner said “there is a guy over there leering at me”
    I looked over and it was the right dishonorable Mr Dunne.
    Creep

    • Muttonbird 30.1
      21 August 2017 at 7:15 pm

      He was outed as a creep, a stalker, and a dirty old man during the Andrea Vance incident.

      • mosa 30.1.1
        21 August 2017 at 7:23 pm

        Yeah where there is smoke there is always fire and i think the whole Vance thing was covered up actually.

  31. mary_a 31
    21 August 2017 at 7:36 pm

    Dunne says the polling in his Ohariu electorate is indicating a change is wanted. Then in the next breath goes on to wish Natz candidate Brett Hudson all the best … wtf?

    • Muttonbird 31.1
      21 August 2017 at 8:05 pm

      Peter Dunne has absolutely zero self awareness. Because of his cowardice he and his shit party will disappear from parliament without any recognition whatsoever.

      He must think the rest of New Zealand is as stupid as the Dunne voting people of Ohariu.

      • In Vino 31.1.1
        21 August 2017 at 8:28 pm

        I heard him thank all his loyal voters on the news a few minutes ago.
        Everybody knows that MMP coat-tailing made National tell their minions to vote for Dunne, and his election thereby became a farce.
        So he thanks all his ‘loyal voters’. What a farcical fool.

        • Muttonbird 31.1.1.1
          21 August 2017 at 8:59 pm

          Good riddance to the bowtie wearing, woman stalking, do-nothing, centrist creep.

          So he turned up to ribbon cutting events and kids birthday parties in Khandallah. Big whoops, a clown could do that.

          NZ is a better place without him.

  32. Incognito 32
    21 August 2017 at 9:08 pm

    Dunne has abandunned the House.

  33. RRM 33
    22 August 2017 at 2:34 pm

    A true man of principles.

    They may be Labour Party principles, or they may be National Party principles, he will agree with them all, just as long as his snout remains in the deep end of the trough.

    A Minister ever since 1990… a Minister’s salary is currently at least $243k. You’re welcome Peter.

    Heeeeeeeeeeeeeeerrrrrreeeee piggy piggy piggy piggy piggy! Feeding time piggy!

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