National endorses Dunne in Ohariu – Nek minnit

Written By: - Date published: 7:30 am, August 22nd, 2017 - 34 comments
Categories: act, campaigning, election 2017, national, the praiseworthy and the pitiful, united future - Tags:

So much for the all feared all conquering National Party campaign machine, able to destroy opponents and win the hearts and minds of New Zealanders at will through its organisation and competence.

This election campaign was meant to be a Crosby Textor training video for how to change leader and win a fourth term. But it has started to resemble an episode from the Thick of It.

The organisation used to be extraordinarily good. The party had won the last three elections while maintaining a significant vote. It had also managed to persuade the electors of two traditional National seats, Epsom and Ohariu, to hold their noses and vote for two rather unappealing leaders of puppet parties, David Seymour of ACT and Peter Dunne of United Future. This gave National a two seat buffer and helped with those really tight Parliamentary votes.

Make no mistake. In an MMP environment these two votes gave the right a distinct advantage. And National did not lose an MP, they just exchanged an electorate MP for a list MP and gained two pliant electorate MPs willing to do their bidding, at least usually.

And this Election the plan was to repeat it all again and hope the good people of Ohariu delivered again.

But National clearly did not factor in Jacindamania.

What looked originally like a fairly tight battle changed so that even Peter Dunne conceded that the writing was on the wall for him. And rather than put himself through a further campaign he has decided to call it a day and pull stumps and all that stuff.

In an example of really bad timing a couple of days ago National sent a letter out to pretty well everyone in Ohariu urging them to electorate vote Dunne.

A couple of screenshots of the letter (h/t Lloyd Burr) provide you with as much information as you need.

But Dunne’s announcement shows that National’s campaign plans are looking rather shaky.

National’s reelection plans for Ohariu are now in tatters. Suddenly Brett Hudson who has made an art form of not campaigning for the electorate vote will need every single vote he can get his hands on.

Jacinda fan boi Paddy Gower called Dunne a political cockroach, I am sure he meant it in the nicest possible way.

Greg O’Connor must be grinning from ear to ear. And suddenly National’s campaign has this rather distinct feel to it.

34 comments on “National endorses Dunne in Ohariu – Nek minnit ”

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  1. marty mars 1
    22 August 2017 at 8:06 am

    Peter Dunne – ‘i didn’t want to lose’ – truth.

    Joyce on radio – he’d fake happy no matter what happened and that is dangerous. Please don’t underestimate the gnats – do not take your eye off them labour.

    • popexplosion 1.1
      22 August 2017 at 2:47 pm

      Greens withdrew… …Dunne couldn’t win… …nice. Well done. All that was needed, pick on Greens, they withdraw and your done Dunne.

  2. Hooch 2
    22 August 2017 at 8:08 am

    Can’t believe dunne was all in when he thought he could sleep walk back into parliament. Now it looks a bit difficult he throws in the towel. Meanwhile over at another blog it seems like this little bombshell never occurred.

    • Ross 2.1
      22 August 2017 at 8:11 am

      Yep Dunne’s legacy will be that of a quitter. The going got tough so he got going. Not unlike our esteemed former PM Sir Teflon John 🙂

      • popexplosion 2.1.1
        22 August 2017 at 2:58 pm

        No valedictory for Dunne but then he was not much of a talker in parliament. Did he give his questions to Seymour?

    • tracey 2.2
      22 August 2017 at 2:59 pm

      Yup. He is still deluding himself that Ohariu elected him on merit. He has no fight… stands for nothing… and took the salary. Also voted against equal pay for women as one of his last actions.

  3. One Anonymous Bloke 3
    22 August 2017 at 8:14 am

    The Nats got stood up via txt.

    They’d booked the table, ordered an aperitif, paid the escort agency’s non-refundable deposit, and now this?!

  4. Janet 4
    22 August 2017 at 8:14 am

    His legacy is still that of a Quisling.

  5. Kaplan 5
    22 August 2017 at 8:15 am

    Off topic I know, but speaking of that picture, what happened with the decision in the Eminem case? Back in May it was reserved but expected to be released in a few months. That’s the last MSM article I can find on it.

  6. halfcrown 6
    22 August 2017 at 8:23 am

    Dung on the AM show did a Tui advert

    Can’t remember the exact words but it went like:-

    “The country is a better place now since I came into parliament 30 years ago”

    Yeah right.

    • Carolyn_nth 6.1
      22 August 2017 at 8:36 am

      Can’t have been to Auckland recently. The amount of rough sleepers has escalated in the last few years. And the traffic.

    • tracey 6.2
      22 August 2017 at 3:01 pm

      He meant the fields aroubd his retirement farm

  7. AB 7
    22 August 2017 at 8:48 am

    A great day for the integrity of our electoral system.

  8. Ad 8
    22 August 2017 at 8:53 am

    It’s very 2008 redux, but reversed, and the tide isn’t going out as fast on National as it did on Labour.

  9. Sans Cle 9
    22 August 2017 at 9:09 am

    Last line is an own-goal clanger!
    “…led by a confused coalition of parties who can’t even govern themselves”.
    Give Nats a mirror, for some self reflection.

  10. NZJester 10
    22 August 2017 at 9:52 am

    They say if you see all the rats start to jump off of a ship and start swimming away, head for the lifeboats immediately as it is a sure sign the ship is about to go down!
    The hole in the National party ship must be bigger than what they are letting on and no amount of bailing it out is going to keep it afloat.

    • CLEANGREEN 10.1
      22 August 2017 at 1:14 pm

      NZJester

      National = ‘Six Months In A Leaky Boat’

      “Split Enz ”

      • NZJester 10.1.1
        22 August 2017 at 1:59 pm

        If only it had been 6 months in a leaky boat. But that boat has been leaky since the start and they just hid the fact well with their super Crosby Textor bilge pump keeping them afloat, but it is starting after all this time to wear out and the numerous holes are just getting too big for it to handle.

    • Greg 10.2
      22 August 2017 at 2:50 pm

      Big ray key left the rest to go down on the ss natonal he knew when to fold and run

  11. Tamati Tautuhi 11
    22 August 2017 at 1:52 pm

    Crosby Textor are going to have to start pulling the rabbits out of the hat soon.

    • tracey 11.1
      22 August 2017 at 3:03 pm

      Attack Ads have been released. Now will the electorate see this as a desperate move by a losing team.or…

  12. Ethica 12
    22 August 2017 at 3:04 pm

    Not fair to the UF candidates. They don’t appear to have been informed of this decision until it hit the media.

  13. Tanz 13
    22 August 2017 at 7:46 pm

    Huge National presence at the markets this week, along with the Greens and NZ First.
    National are in the lead and will win on the day. MSM is trying to change the outcome, but it won’t work. Go National/NZ First…I am looking forward to our first Maori PM! Thought Bill English looked very calm and contented on TV tonight, does not seem worried.

    • Muttonbird 13.1
      22 August 2017 at 7:52 pm

      Bingles permanently looks calm and contented. He’s a robot. There are some cracks appearing though.

      Who is going to be the first Maori PM, btw?

  14. Tanz 14
    22 August 2017 at 7:56 pm

    Our dear Winston of course, who else.

  15. Tanz 15
    22 August 2017 at 8:08 pm

    I say it is a possibility, and a strong one. He may get Finance Minister instead, but as Kingmaker he will have high expectations, and I believe, National will come to the party.
    Govt is where they want to be after all, not Opposition.

    • Muttonbird 15.1
      22 August 2017 at 8:17 pm

      You’re either deliberately being an idiot, or are not very bright.

      Let us know which.

  16. Tanz 16
    22 August 2017 at 8:26 pm

    He isn’t called Kingmaker for nothing…

  17. Robert Atack 17
    24 August 2017 at 9:17 am

    ——– Forwarded Message ——–
    Subject: Tane Woodley, 28 February 2007
    Date: Thu, 24 Aug 2017 09:13:10 +1200
    From: Robert
    Reply-To: robert@oilcrash.com
    To: james.shaw@greens.org.nz
    CC: Robin Westenr , bill.english@national.org.nz, jacinda@jacinda.co.nz, president@nzfirstparty.org.nz, tane.woodley@greens.org.nz, checkpoint@radionz.co.nz, Gareth Morgan

    James

    I have to ask how these three things DON”T clash?

    Kiwisaver

    And

    https://www.tvnz.co.nz/one-news/new-zealand/greens-deliver-labour-massive-surprise-unexpected-candidate-ohariu-electorate-race

    And

    http://www.oilcrash.com/articles/oilconfl.htm

    The evidence is in, basically a green party candidate is saying Kiwisaver is a crock ie there simply isn’t another 47 years of growth left on the planet, so you are lying to your young voters, well all of them actually.
    Please explain Mr Shaw, how can you till your 18 – 20 year old voters that there is a future pension via this oil/growth dependent investment scam?

    Robert Atack
    0274 301 574

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