Nats now threatening Northland

81 comments on “Nats now threatening Northland ”

• Comments are now closed

1. jenny kirk 1

   13 March 2015 at 10:49 am

   Blackmail !
   • Simple Simon 1.1

     13 March 2015 at 10:57 am

     It is blackmail for sure.

     It will be interesting to see the next poll release and whether the northland voters are falling for his tactics.
     • whateva next? 1.1.1

       13 March 2015 at 1:15 pm

       absolutely, and it’s their (ours) money he is blackmailing them with, showing true colours, and how little respect he has for the people he SERVES. Abuse of power, plain and simple.
   • Simple Simon 1.2

     13 March 2015 at 11:46 am

     It would be ironic if the approaching cyclone takes out some of the bridges that the Nats have promised to replace in northland, would have a resemblance of Chch and the earthquakes.

     Then see Key and his cohorts promising everything on earth to buy votes.
     • mary_a 1.2.1

       13 March 2015 at 12:38 pm

       @ Simple Simon #(1.2)

       If Northland is unfortunate enough to be in the path of the Cyclone, I’m sure it will be guaranteed all of a sudden the region will become politician free! I doubt there will be any politicians standing on the swamped and sinking bridges in their raincoats and gumboots, flapping their gobs, making false promises!

       Any damage suffered as a result, will only be addressed if the local folk vote for NZ’s very own Jihadi John’s lackey Osborne!

       Honestly, this byelection is turning out to be something similar to the deep south in the US, as a result of corrupt politicians in the boondocks … oh wait!
   • Tracey 1.3

     13 March 2015 at 6:57 pm

     and the opposite of what Joyce said to Espiner on RNZNational and Bridges said yesterday.
2. millsy 2

   13 March 2015 at 10:53 am

   All the more reason to vote Winston and give the government, and the wider business, political and media establishment a bloody nose.
   • Chooky 2.1

     13 March 2015 at 1:03 pm

     yes John Key is getting desperate and panicking…wont be lost on the voters…GO WINSTON!
3. felix 3

   13 March 2015 at 10:57 am

   Jeez they’re really panicking to withdraw their big bribe already.

   Perfect opening for Winston too, now it’s National that are standing in the way of the roads.
4. weka 4

   13 March 2015 at 11:04 am

   “Speaking to Turners & Growers in Kerikeri yesterday, Key said “all the other parties [were] ganging up on National” making the contest difficult.”

   Diddums. Plus, Te Tai Tokerau you feckless, venal robber baron.
5. repateet 5

   13 March 2015 at 11:05 am

   There is a movie called Slumdog Millionaire.

   We have a Prime Minister who is a Scumbag Millionaire. For his latest petulant contribution he should be told to piss off out of the province.
   • cogito 5.1

     13 March 2015 at 11:11 am

     ….and out of NZ.
6. mac1 6

   13 March 2015 at 11:06 am

   Key said “all the other parties [were] ganging up on National” making the contest difficult.

   Classic! How many times have I heard the bully do the blaming bit? (And I know from my own experience what being ganged up on is truly like.)
7. cogito 7

   13 March 2015 at 11:07 am

   With Key’s propensity towards blackmail and dirty politics, one has to wonder whether he is the one behind the 1080 threats.
   • mary_a 7.1

     13 March 2015 at 11:20 am

     @ cogito # (7)

     BINGO!

     I think you might well have nailed it there!
   • Anne 7.2

     13 March 2015 at 11:26 am

     He isn’t behind the 1080 threats, but he is manipulating them purely for political gain.
     • McFlock 7.2.1

       13 March 2015 at 11:45 am

       important distinction there – he blackmails electorates, not corporations…
   • Ffloyd 7.3

     13 March 2015 at 11:49 am

     Has he ever done a looksee at the production of 1080? You know, complete with hard hat and high vis and his surrounded by his boys as apparently Bronagh so quaintly call the protection squad. Maybe they created a diversion and he pocketed a couple of handfuls of it to put in his top drawer.
8. mary_a 8

   13 March 2015 at 11:08 am

   Do as we say. Or else!

   Obvious blackmail!

   Natsies are reneging on promises, which according to Key were about to be announced last year. But according to him, it was the fault of Nicky Hager and Kim Dotcom, “hogging” all media headlines, which prevented the announcement being made public!

   This intimidation is even more reason NOT to vote for Key and his Natsies!

   It’s not on, holding an electorate to ransom. Smacks of a dictatorship raising its ugly head!

   Bastards!
   • greywarshark 8.1

     13 March 2015 at 11:50 am

     Northland has long felt itself ignored or deliberately starved of amenities by central government. They voted Social Credit leader Vern Cracknell in 1966 as a token of their feelings about treatment by government. (Willingness to consider third parties – The area had previously been receptive to social credit theory – Harold Rushworth of the credit-influenced Country Party had held Bay of Islands for three terms, from 1928 to 1938.)
     Stats from wikipedia say – ‘Labour has not won a general electorate north of Wellsford since a one-off victory in Whangarei in 1972.’

     National’s John Carter held the seat for five times from 1996, and following him Mike Sabin two. So they have had plenty of time to build bridges. I suggest it is too late to make hasty promises now. They may have to wade through the water and sing As I went down to the river to pray, or even undergo a wet baptismal ritual from which they might emerge cleaner, better and more honest. It would need very strong holy water to do that though. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2qw6Hon013E

     Interesting comment from Brent Edwards on Radioo nz.
     http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/political/268540/%27playing-politics%27-in-northland
     But isn’t the RMA revision and its probable scrapping or emasculating, one of The Important Things now. Why not think short term if that is going to result in worthwhile present outcomes? Governments in power don’t do everything they should and could that would be good for the people. Oppositiion parties would be wise to take opportunities for good as they arise rather than hold their breath for the big prize. Wake up and smell the red roses while they are blooming. If you calculate that they will bloom, that is. That blooming Winston Peters, what is going on in his mercurial head. Do we have a craniologist in the House. Or as Terry Pratchett’s old and wise witch puts it – what is needed is Headology.
     edited
9. tc 9

   13 March 2015 at 11:08 am

   a strategy that’s worked so well across the ditch as Abbott weighed into Victoria election with similar threats on the east west link with the result Liberals lost after a single term in.

   Keep it up Shonkey, top work on winnies behalf, time to get lynton back from crafting camerons dog whistles or maybe CT have advised they’re goneburger already leaving them to their own devices.
10. Naturesong 10

    13 March 2015 at 11:13 am

    Sweet.

    Just so we’re clear; a vote for Winston will prevent the massive waste of public money that is to be the Puhoi to Wellsford motorway extension?

    Sounds like a win-win to me.
    • Sacha 10.1

      13 March 2015 at 2:24 pm

      I’ve seen Key claiming that, but has Winston actually said anything? There was something about investing in Northland rail links.
      • Naturesong 10.1.1

        13 March 2015 at 2:46 pm

        From the article: “New Zealand First leader and Northland byelection candidate Winston Peters is promising to upgrade the rail line to Auckland and build a rail link to the deepwater port at Marsden Pt to get full value from the port.”

        Rail is a really good idea for Northland, and would also provide benefits to Auckland (giving the council leverage to tell POAL (a business wholly owned by Auckland Council) to go fuck themselves – and think for just a moment how messed up that is all by itself)

        But, I cant see Winston being able to do this … unless he plans to do a deal with National.
        You can never tell with Winston
        • Macro 10.1.1.1

          13 March 2015 at 3:50 pm

          NZF have been strong in there support for rail, a very good policy IMO. Note also they are supportive of the Gisbourne Rail which Nats have trashed.
          • Naturesong 10.1.1.1.1

            13 March 2015 at 3:57 pm

            Re: Gisbourne.

            Lets call it what it is; Economic Vandalism
            • Macro 10.1.1.1.1.1

              13 March 2015 at 4:08 pm

              🙂 Both Economic and Environmental Vandalism.

              But that is what the Nats are – Vandals.

              Anything goes in the name of “Short Term Profit” and “Me First! at the Pig Trough.” That’s all they care about.
            • Born. Gisborne. 10.1.1.1.1.2

              13 March 2015 at 4:26 pm

              Re:Gisbourne.
              Let’s call it what it really is.
              Gisborne.:-)
11. Karen 11

    13 March 2015 at 11:16 am

    Key hates losing and is becoming more petulant by the day. Making threats is not going to help. Evidently Hooton has done a piece in NBR today (behind paywall) that is very critical of the ethics of this government.

    Advance voting only opened on Wednesday in Northland and already double that of the general election. Unusual in a by election for there to be a big turnout, so we will see if it continue.
    http://www.elections.org.nz/events/2015-northland-election-0/northland-advance-voting-statistics
    • lprent 11.1

      13 March 2015 at 12:54 pm

      That was worth a post on its own. Thanks for pointing it out.
12. Skinny 12

    13 March 2015 at 11:27 am

    The problem is National have no transport strategy outside of roading. Pandering to their trucking mates who’s fleets of big rigs are damaging Northland’s roads, congesting the Auckland motorway network.

    So where to for the Northland Line with Nationals blank refusal to fund the rail link to the deep water port of Marsden Point.

    Fonterra are currently sending containers via rail to the Port of Auckland, however with port expansion and the instilation of a new big crane out at Marsden Point, capable of handling extra capacity of container freight, Fonterra are left with little options but to truck hundreds of thousands of tons of dairy products by truck to Marsden Point, because there is no rail link. Once this happens the North Auckland line is surplus to Nationals requirments. So the closure is fast approaching, something National are not wanting to be known during the Northland By Election.
    • Chooky 12.1

      13 March 2015 at 1:09 pm

      Winston had been advocating rail and then National tried to upstage him with the promise of bridges…now they are going back on this promise:

      ‘National tries to upstage Winston Peters with pledge to replace 10 bridges’ :

      http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/67126932/northland-byelection-national-pledges-to-replace-10-bridges

      “In Peters’ announcement, he said there would be no growth for the North unless there was “real vision, a cohesive economic and social plan, and total political commitment”.

      That included the modern development of the Port of Whangarei over an extension of the Port of Auckland into Waitemata Harbour.

      “And we will upgrade the Auckland to Northland railway line and build the rail link to your port,” he said.

      “This policy, we have argued for a number of years, but we need your support now to make this happen.”
      • Skinny 12.1.1

        13 March 2015 at 1:38 pm

        Yip Chooky Peters is literally the North Auckland Line’s only hope. It is widely known
        National will close it shortly. They have allowed it to go backwards since taking office by starving it of funding to maintain and upgrade it. Those dirt bags running Port of Auckland are reclaiming land by deception. Jaffa’s are too stupid to take notice. And if Osbourne squeaks home in the by election how do you think the RMA changes are going to impact on them?
    • Lloyd 12.2

      13 March 2015 at 8:59 pm

      Big rigs kill more New Zealand motorists than foreign drivers. Don’t see anyone pulling keys out of trucks.

      OMG was that a pun? Wasn’t intended.

      Whenever a truck squashes a carload of tourists its always the tourist’s fault….. Just like cyclists….

      Most motorists on the motorways keep to a maximum of 5 km/hr above their speed limit, but truck drivers are mostly doing 15 km/hr above theirs. Haven’t seen the truckies slowing for the speed cameras. Is this part of the gnats be kind to their trucker mates deal? Stinks if it is.
13. David H 13

    13 March 2015 at 11:33 am

    TricKey’s worse than a child.. talk about spitting the dummy, sulking in the corner, till mummy comes and takes her little ‘precious’ home.

    Go on just take your fuckin ball and go home!
14. William 14

    13 March 2015 at 11:45 am

    Key said “ALL THE OTHER PARTIES [were] ganging up on National” making the contest difficult. (my emphasis)

    But Act aren’t ganging up on them, in fact Seymour has offered to throw the race and back National.

    Key’s comment can only be interpreted as an acknowledgement that Act are merely a subsidary of National.
15. alwyn 15

    13 March 2015 at 11:48 am

    I don’t get it.
    You claim he is “threatening” Northland. That seems to mean that you think he is proposing to withdraw things that people in Northland want.
    In other and simpler words you are saying that the people of Northland want the things that the Labour, Green and New Zealand First Parties were going to scrap if they won the last election.
    Makes it pretty clear why the people of New Zealand weren’t going to have a bar of the left wing parties doesn’t it?
    Come on Andrew. Come out and tell the public something like.
    “We will not allow the National Party to claim that you won’t get the things you want and need. We will vote to develop all the roads that National have promised. The people of Northland will not lose anything if Winston wins.”
    • Naturesong 15.1

      13 March 2015 at 11:55 am

      Do the people of Northland actually want the holiday highway?

      Seems to me that this is spending for middle class Auckland, and provides very little for the folks of northland unless they’re driving to Auckland, in which case they get a smoother ride, and a marginally shorter drive time.

      I also don’t think that wanting giving National a kick in the nuts because they’ve been wankers to you (your region) in a way that does not threaten the stability of the govt is something that is neither right nor left.
      • ghostwhowalksnz 15.1.1

        13 March 2015 at 11:59 am

        Perhaps they wont want it when they find out its a continuation of the toll road.

        having to pay $5 to $6 each and every time isnt going to get votes ( even for a road thats still in planning stages)

        No charge for Waikatos big highway improvements. LOL
        • Naturesong 15.1.1.1

          13 March 2015 at 12:18 pm

          Ouch, yes. Didn’t know the addition would be tolled.

          The Waikato upgrades were needed 30 years ago.
          There is less need for the Waikato upgrades today as the focus needs to be ensuring the availability of energy and material efficient ways of moving people and goods.
          This means a proper nationwide rail network so people and freight can easily travel between main centres.

          Because … climate change*

          *added for the benefit of the cognitively challenged who may not have realised why govt needs to change policy focus in a number of areas to ensure more efficient energy and material usage.
      • Emalitza 15.1.2

        13 March 2015 at 12:58 pm

        As a born and bred Northlander, I say no – we don’t want a holiday highway. We want the slip in Maromaku fixed faster than the 8 months it has taken to get around to it (and this is State Highway One).

        We want tar seal on some of the 70% of roads that are still gravel (not all of them, just the ones the logging trucks use as an expressway).

        We would like actual fix it jobs, not patch it jobs on the roads.

        We would like the South side of the Brynderwyn Hills fixed, not millions spent on the North side which is a beauty to drive in comparison.

        We would like MP’s to drive up when they visit Northland, not chopper in conveniently missing al the horrid road along the way.

        That’s just roads, shall I go on?

        * Disclaimer – not currently living in Northland just spent first 18 years of my life there and now travel go up to visit immediate family 4 or 5 tomes a year.
    • weka 15.2

      13 March 2015 at 12:06 pm

      “In other and simpler words you are saying that the people of Northland want the things that the Labour, Green and New Zealand First Parties were going to scrap if they won the last election.”

      I suspect that like most places the people of Northland are various in their needs and desires. Key’s speech would have been specifically targeted at the people who buy his bullshit about roading and development but are thinking of voting for Peters because of the Sabin issue and dissatisfaction with National in general over all their fuckups.
      • Sacha 15.2.1

        13 March 2015 at 2:31 pm

        I suspect most Northlanders would rather spend $750m on education, training, broadband, and real job creation than on a duplicate highway. To say nothing of all those crap local roads mentioned above.
    • Crashcart 15.3

      13 March 2015 at 2:38 pm

      Long streach to put a positive spin on this.

      NACT can’t claim one day that the bridge offer wasn’t pork barrel politics because they were going to do it any way (oh and it was Dotcom and Hagar’s fault that they didn’t have it in the election) and then the next day turn around and say they won’t do it if you don’t vote for them.

      I can’t believe the MSM aren’t jumping all over them for htis. Although it would be hard to actually jump on someone who is flip flopping around as much as national are at the moment.

      The NACT by election progress:

      Totally can’t lose this boys. Just treat Winnie with contempt we are fine.

      Holy shit we are down in the polls what do we do. Throw them a bunch of spending. That will fool them.

      What do you mean pork barrel? we was gonna do this all along and it was all those other guys fault that we didn’t before and dammit why does this bloody nail keep moving.

      Get that little guy off red dwarf to threaten to take Winnie to court. We gave him his seat and he’s done fuck all since. Put him to work.

      Screw you all, if you don’t vote for us we are cutting Nothland loose. No one to blame but your selves. When will these peasents learn to just do as we bloody tell them.
      • alwyn 15.3.1

        13 March 2015 at 3:34 pm

        Actually, if you read the story carefully, as I have just reread, it you will discover that Key didn’t say that National would not go ahead with roads and bridges in Northland.
        He has said that they would go ahead regardless.

        What he did say is that FTAs could be at risk, as a number of National’s support parties are like NZF and oppose them. Labour usually support them as they are good for New Zealand, just as National supported the Labour negotiated FTA with China, but you can’t trust them to care these days. Labour have become rather bitter and may be only to happy to cut off New Zealand’s nose to spite National.

        It was the candidate Osbourne who suggested that the roading improvements might be at risk. He is hardly in a position to stop them anyway. In the event that he loses he wouldn’t be there to do anything and if he won he obviously be in a position where he would want to support. Given that Winston doesn’t appear to know where the electorate is it is not at all clear which roads he might or might not support.

        By the way who is the person you are referring to in the statement “Get that little guy off red dwarf …”?
        • Crashcart 15.3.1.1

          13 March 2015 at 3:51 pm

          You honestly think Osbourne is going to say anything regards policy right now without it being run past Key? After all he isn’t even in parliment so has to get his info from party central. I do think that it is probably a miss communication. He was told to let the electorate know that they couldn’t be sure they would be “ABLE” to pass the legisalation if they lost and he misinterperated that. Either way National have been bloody poor in this by election and I think you would be hard pressed to argue any different.

          Your assertion that FTA’s are good for the country assumes that all FTA’s are the same. Is the TPP going to be good for the country. I don’t know as I know nothing about it. That too me is not a good thing but not hugely uncommon. Still doesn’t sit well with me if it starts changing how we can legislate or be challenged on our legislation.

          The guy from red dwarf is the leader of the ACT party. Looks a hell of a lot like Rimmer. Funnily enough his part is an illusion so has a bit in common with Rimmer as well.
          • alwyn 15.3.1.1.1

            13 March 2015 at 6:45 pm

            You are probably correct about what Osbourne may have been told to say.
            I’m not a Nat member or anything like that so I have no idea about their internal workings.

            I am inclined to agree that they weren’t really prepared for Winston jumping in and haven’t organised that well, although Winston doesn’t appear to have been too well prepared either.You would think Winnie would have, at least, checked where the electorate boundaries were.

            I had never heard of Red Dwarf. Now I have some idea, thanks to Wikipedia.
          • Hami Shearlie 15.3.1.1.2

            14 March 2015 at 12:28 am

            He’s also rather like Ruth Richardson to look at too!!
        • Pascals bookie 15.3.1.2

          13 March 2015 at 4:09 pm

          Funnily enough it was Osbourne who announced the roads, so are you saying Northland should only believe him when he says nice things?
          • alwyn 15.3.1.2.1

            13 March 2015 at 6:48 pm

            He’s pretty green. I would only accept the accuracy of his statements when the Minister concerned is standing next to him and confirms it, as happened with the bridge announcements.
            On the other hand when Winston says anything I would, when asked if I believe him hold up that sign of his. NO
            • Clemgeopin 15.3.1.2.1.1

              13 March 2015 at 8:50 pm

              “Osborne is pretty green”

              A bit beige actually.

              What Osborne’s and Key’s flip flop blackmail like statements boil down to, in a nut shell is like this:

              One day they say they will build heaps and heaps of up and down bridges and miles and miles of flash holiday high ways, Speedy broad bands and shit, EVEN if the Nats lose. They say it as if it is cast in stone, no ifs and no buts!

              But the next day they say, nah, fooled you, suckers! Bribes will only happen if you vote for us. Otherwise, sorry, may be not happen! THAT is bribe and blackmail.

              See this and read between the dishonesty and bullshit:

              http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/67315696/nats-roads-in-doubt-if-winston-wins
        • Draco T Bastard 15.3.1.3

          13 March 2015 at 5:43 pm

          FTAs are not good for NZ mostly because they have nothing to do with trade and everything to do with freeing up capitalists from the necessary regulations to ensure society benefits from societies work.
        • KJT 15.3.1.4

          13 March 2015 at 8:47 pm

          How much has the China FTA cost us?

          Funny that right wing economic “experts” don’t know a ledger has two sides.
    • Tracey 15.4

      13 March 2015 at 7:02 pm

      Sorry, I am not sure I follow. Are you saying it is okay for national to promise bridges ONLY if Northland returns national’s chosen candidate even though until today those bridges, according to Joyce and Bridges have been in the pipeline for ages and are necessary for Northland?

      Are you saying that National’s promises relate only to the electorates they promised stuff to and won?
      • Murray Rawshark 15.4.1

        14 March 2015 at 1:26 am

        That’s exactly what the Liberal National Party said in the recent Queensland election – the promises we’re making will only happen in seats that we win. They lost, as I expect the FJK party to do in Northland.
        • Tracey 15.4.1.1

          14 March 2015 at 10:35 am

          So, which electorates did National win in 2014? And what were they promised? I would love to see what their actual mandate is based on this recent revelation of how their promise/mandate works.
16. marty mars 16

    13 March 2015 at 12:06 pm

    This tells the story all right – dirty polly ticks for all to see.
17. ma rohemo 17

    13 March 2015 at 12:08 pm

    As if National hasn’t ganged up on others!

    In Kaipara we had retrospective legislation from National to make the dodgy rates all legal.

    We had the Audit office work on a report for 18 months to investigate the illegal loan raised by Council for the Mangawhai sewerage scheme. The report was finally released one week after the statute of limitations expired. That prevented any recompense from the government through the protection that was in place for such an event.

    They have used their dodgy talents to prevent the release of any details about Sabin from escaping. Many around here still think it was just a bit of domestic biffo.

    Hopefully the voters of Kaipara, and Northland at large, will remember these things two weeks from tomorrow and show the cheaters that people still have some power.
18. Clemgeopin 18

    13 March 2015 at 12:29 pm

    KEY has been indulging in blatant bribes and lousy untruths to defeat Winston. Now he is indulging in BLATANT BLACKMAIL to get Northlanders to vote for Osborne out of fear!

    Yet just yesterday they were claiming the road and bridge bribes will definitely go ahead EVEN if Osborne loses and Winston wins!

    These tactics just seem like desperately confused shifting strategies from the badly scared National nincompoops and cunning crooks !

    What a disgrace!
19. DH 19

    13 March 2015 at 12:31 pm

    Interesting he brings Wellsford into the roading issue. The Warkworth-Wellsford extension is easily a decade away, well outside the promise of any political party. National can’t guarantee that any more than any other party can.

    It’s an insult to the intelligence claiming the holiday highway will open up Northland. Cutting 10-15 minutes off the trip isn’t going to open up anything.
    • Skinny 19.1

      13 March 2015 at 1:16 pm

      The new toll rd is all about trucks as with the bridge upgades (weight related). The time cut is minutes and for the cost not worth it. Upgrading the current rd could be done for a fraction of the price of the holiday highway.

      If you travel on the highway between Auckland and Hamilton you see very few trucks, look over at the rail line there is 100 trucks work of goods being transported by a single freight train. And they are capable of running every 12 minutes.
      • RedBaronCV 19.1.1

        13 March 2015 at 7:10 pm

        Exactly – the regional councils wouldn’t put money into this sort of stuff so the big trucks can’t get through. Vote Nact and get an even bigger logging truck on your local roads.
    • greywarshark 19.2

      13 March 2015 at 3:35 pm

      Anyway who can afford to be on holiday? Some manage to, some can’t afford it, and some don’t bother to holiday in NZ at all preferring Hawaii, closer to the business hub
      where the important stuff happens – in the USA.
    • Lloyd 19.3

      13 March 2015 at 9:14 pm

      If they spent the Holiday Highway money on the Marsden Point rail connection and anything else left over on straightening the Whangarei- Auckland rail line, it would cut rail times from Marsden Point to Auckland by over half a day! Now that would be a saving! AND It would mean we could save the Waitemata Harbour. That’s another great saving!
      Before anyone says you can’t rail from Marsden Point at the moment, you can truck things from there to Whangarei and put the cargo on a rail wagon there – bloody inefficient.
      • Tracey 19.3.1

        14 March 2015 at 10:39 am

        I endorse this…

        and Treasury (or someone’s report) that we have too many ports… We are too small for the kind of “free market” competitive model that has seen too many ports for our size leap up…

        IF anyone truly believes in regional strengthening… looking at which ports stay and which go is a start.
20. tc 20

    13 March 2015 at 1:10 pm

    Only rail can really open up northland and its just a disgrace how NACT have let rail die all around NZ.

    Pay attention to gisnourne northlanders
21. vto 21

    13 March 2015 at 2:35 pm

    Recall when David Carter made threats to other Regional Councils to follow the line of face the same fate as the recent Ecan takeover…..

    This is their manner
    • vto 21.1

      13 March 2015 at 2:50 pm

      I mean or
      • greywarshark 21.1.1

        13 March 2015 at 4:31 pm

        Either works vto!

        Thinking of Northland this weekend. The Far North is served by one electricity pylon feed that is partly washed away as a result of previous floods. The electricity bods have repaired part of it but they have had to provide concrete blocks hold the legs in place, which actually are bowed, and it appears that the wires themselves are bracing the pylon. They have a difficult job to haul the heavy and live? wires off and onto replacement pylons.

        They are due to do it this Sunday but by the evening the area could receive a visit from the tourist cyclone that is in Vanuatu I think. It may or may not hit but is bound to bring rain and wind. Yet they are worried that more rain before they shifted the wires could bring the lot down. If they do come down the power will be off to the Far North not just as for days but a whole week.

        So best of luck guys and girls? There are 80 due to tackle the job. The regions do it hard often. I don’t want to hear anyone say how resilient they are. At the end of the day, that’s a rotten cliche’.
        http://www.nzherald.co.nz/northland-age/news/article.cfm?c_id=1503402&objectid=11416034
        We’ll play our Glen Campbell – I’m a lineman for the county!
    • Jones 21.2

      13 March 2015 at 3:21 pm

      Yep… mafia-style thugs… I also recall John Key making a veiled threat to the Human Rights Commission funding, over their concerns about the GCSB Bill a couple of years back.
22. greywarshark 22

    13 March 2015 at 3:31 pm

    This from Kaitaia’s Thursday Northland Age report on Winston’s whistle stop speech.
    He is claiming that he forced the 10 bridges promise from National and predicts a promise for motorway and high-speed broadband fast action.
    http://www.nzherald.co.nz/northland-age/news/article.cfm?c_id=1503402&objectid=11416018

    “In just 10 days I’ve got you 10 free bridges,” he said….
    Questions from the crowd included why the Gold Card could not be used on Kaitaia’s Busabout service, the only public transport in the Far North, and what he would do to stop Far North rangatahi getting into trouble (creating employment was the best solution, he said).

    Also on the campaign trail today are Prime Minister John Key and National candidate Mark Osborne, whose stops will include Kerikeri. Labour’s Willow-Jean Prime will later head to Dargaville for a candidates meeting. All candidates are expected at public meetings in Kaitaia and Kerikeri tomorrow.

    This was the situation as seen this Tuesday.
    http://www.nzherald.co.nz/northland-age/news/article.cfm?c_id=1503402&objectid=11414796
    • Murray Rawshark 22.1

      14 March 2015 at 1:36 am

      I think Winston is saying that he has NAct scared to the extent that they are promising all sorts of things to stop him winning. His candidacy forced them to promise, not Winston himself. Subtle but important difference, I think.
23. Robert Glennie 23

    13 March 2015 at 4:37 pm

    When a political party that rules like a Tory is feeling threatened it resorts to bully tactics. Surest sign one Winston Peters has their number.
24. Draco T Bastard 24

    13 March 2015 at 5:29 pm

    So, pork barrel in one hand and a gun in the other.
    • RedBaronCV 24.1

      13 March 2015 at 7:09 pm

      And a tanty for afters. “If you don’t vote for my party then I won’t build a flash road to my holiday house” Hahaha
      • Tracey 24.1.1

        13 March 2015 at 7:11 pm

        Note: Osborne made the big threat. Honest John got to stay clean with deniable innuendo.

        Note for PG (that is the two track system of Dirty Politics not to be confused with name calling in parliament)
25. Clemgeopin 25

    14 March 2015 at 1:05 am

    An article in NZ HERALD states that when asked the question,

    “What is the first thing you would do as Northland’s new MP?”

    the three Northland by-election candidates answered as follows:

    ————————-

    Willow-Jean Prime – Labour:

    Well, Kelvin [Davis] told me it won’t be a sleep-in. The first thing I would do is take that list of promises we’ve received and which we will hopefully continue to receive until the 28th of March and ensure it was implemented, along with my long list of requests from the community.
    —————————

    Mark Osborne – National:

    Keep canvassing my fellow colleagues in caucus and Cabinet for further opportunities to develop the North’s potential. It’s immense and we need to carry on and open up the North to get the real benefits across the region.
    —————————–

    Winston Peters – NZ First:

    Make sure that the promises the National Party and Government is tossing round like an eight-armed octopus were delivered on with as great a speed as they promised. You can be certain a victory for us in this campaign would bring that about. We are negativing the statement that you can’t do anything from Opposition.

    It has had a devastating effect in this campaign and Northlanders love the effect of it all.
    ———————–

    Your comments?
    • Murray Rawshark 25.1

      14 March 2015 at 1:39 am

      “Open up the North” from a Tory means sell it off to their mates. It’s already been opened up to Russian billionaires and Oravida. Open up could mean a sawmill in the Waipoua Forest with this lot.
    • Tracey 25.2

      14 March 2015 at 10:42 am

      Why would National “open up the north” after decades of holding that seat and not opening up the North… Also, what does opening up the north mean? To holiday makers with good roads?

      Osborne doesn’t have fellow colleagues in caucus… cos he is well, not in caucus…
26. Murray Rawshark 26

    14 March 2015 at 1:09 am

    WHo wants the Puhoi to Wellsford extension anyway? I’d prefer a railway and 2 km of metal road past Puhoi to keep the Remuera tractor driving Jafas out. !00 metres would probably be sufficient, but just to be on the safe side…
27. Penny Bright 27

    14 March 2015 at 10:28 am

    Check out s.216 of the Electoral Act 1993 …

    “BRIBERY”

    Penny Bright

• Comments are now closed

• Log in
• Donate
• Contribute post

• Articles RSS