This is from a contributer about the Christchurch East by election.
“It’s no secret that National’s campaign in East hasn’t exactly gotten off to the most inspiring start, what with picking someone who lives in Waimakariri, and who has only just arrived back in the country. But with candidate Matthew Doocey’s website now up and running and the pamphlet below being delivered throughout the ward, it’s becoming increasingly clear just how out of touch National is on the issues facing Christchurch.
As others have pointed out, Christchurch East is by no means a safe Labour seat anymore, with 10,000 people having left since the earthquakes and National having won the party vote there in a big way at the last election. The big challenge for a National candidate in the seat though is the lack of progress being made by the Government on the key issues for people in the East: EQC, Insurance and Housing.
With EQC still a by-word for frustration and incompetence, the insurance mess still unresolved, and average rents in Christchurch continuing to rise out of control, it’s not a great record for a National candidate to have to run on.
So what have they decided to do?
Pretend those issues don’t exist, if their campaign literature is anything to go by.
Nowhere on Doocey’s website or on his pamphlet is any mention of EQC, or insurance issues or even housing. Not once.
Is Doocey delusional? What does he think local people have been dealing with for the last three years?
The strategy seems right of out Nick Smith’s “there is no housing affordability crisis” playbook. Or Tau Henare’s suggesting that low wages don’t exist because cleaners can just get another job.
It’s either an example of National picking a candidate who doesn’t understand the local issues (probably because of his much hyped – by himself – connections to the Carter family) or a really cynical move to avoid tough issues.
It’s no secret that people in Christchurch East feel ignored and forgotten. Many were hoping that the by-election was going to force the Government to front up on the key areas where they are failing.
Instead, it looks like they are just going to stick their head in the sand, or should it be the silt, and keep on ignoring the locals.”
And here is Doocey’s pamphlet. Click on it for a larger version.
Update: Comments will be moderated until 7 pm tomorrow because of election day restrictions.
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