Northland by election – National gets desperate

Written By: - Date published: 10:13 am, March 19th, 2015 - 37 comments
Categories: by-election, elections, john key, national, Steven Joyce, winston peters - Tags: ,

Northland morepork

The desperation is showing.  Clearly National thinks that it is going to lose the Northland by election and it is pulling out all stops.

We had the promise of ten bridges being two laned at a cost of $69 million dollars.  I wonder how other regions feel about losing projects because of the rush of money into Northland.  One of the bridges is situated next to Mark Osborne’s home.  How lucky is that.

We then had a reannouncement of digital broadband for the area.  The feeling of deja vu was extreme.

Then we had John Key say sort of that if Northland did not elect Osborne then the area was not going to get its bridges.  And it was all Kim Dotcom’s and Nicky Hager’s fault that these bridges were not proposed during the last election campaign.

Then we had the awkward moment when it was realised that one of the projects would require the felling of one or two ancient Kauri.

Then we had news of deceptive use of statistics.  The 7,500 new jobs included new jobs in Whangarei.  And the fact that the number of unemployed had dropped by only 100 suggests that things are not as rosy as Joyce makes out.  Tricky use of language there Stephen Joyce.

Then we saw the liberal use of Ministerial Resources to help National Ministers campaign in the area.

Then yesterday we had news that local MP Shane Reti had tried to bully a local group into staying silent until after the election.  Winston Peters had the ultimate put down line when he said that rather than bullying the dusty roads lobby, National should build a bridge – and get over it.

And the reverse side of Mark Osborne’s pamphlet which mimics NZ First information trotting out the rather stale line that a vote for Peters will mean a new MP from Southland.  As Dave Clendon points out the claim is clearly wrong as currently there are precisely no MPs for the Northland electorate.

Northland national pamphlet

Clearly National is rattled.  Losing a very safe seat is on the cards.

37 comments on “Northland by election – National gets desperate ”

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  1. Draco T Bastard 1
    19 March 2015 at 10:25 am

    So, a vote for Osborne will maintain the current number of Northland MPs. One wonders which electorate that Osborne would be working for if he wins. I’d say that it was the Rich Prick electorate.

    • Pasupial 1.1
      19 March 2015 at 11:24 am

      Clendon does make a good point:

      Judging by the comments of people who have contacted me about a particular leaflet distributed by the National Party candidate, it could prove to be counter-productive, and discourage rather than encourage potential National voters…

      The ‘current’ number of MPs ‘for Northland’ is actually zero – the electorate is temporarily unrepresented since the resignation of the former incumbent.

      Just to be clear, I live in Kerikeri, and so under Parliamentary rules can describe myself as a list MP based in Northland, but if I were to describe myself as the MP for Northland I would very quickly find myself in trouble with the Speaker of the House, and rightly so. Only a person elected to an electoral seat can properly declare themselves as MP for that seat.

      He is a bit of the invisible green down here in the South; going by this, he may well be primarily focused on his local area. Also his; musterer (which I assume means; whip), rather than his; spokesperson, parliamentary roles. His decision not to stand in this byelection certainly displays wisdom and confidence.

    • ghostwhowalksnz 1.2
      19 March 2015 at 12:12 pm

      Since Peters lives in Auckland now, they cant have it both ways.

      Southland should ask why they voted all those years for Bill English when he lived permanently in Wellington ( even when not a minister)

      The worst rort was with ACT many years ago when they had 6 or 7 list Mps, all their list Mps had offices only in Wellington ( except Hide).
      And was worse the list Mps were all in office building owned by a family trust related to Richard Prebble.

  2. Tracey 2
    19 March 2015 at 10:53 am

    have set deadline dates been provided for the implementation of the promises?

  3. Clemgeopin 3
    19 March 2015 at 11:10 am

    “Then yesterday we had news that local MP Shane Reti had tried to bully a local group into staying silent until after the election”

    Whangarei MP Shane Reti called the protest group organiser last week and told her to stop “agitating” for tar-sealed roads during the by-election campaign. And if they didn’t stop, their wish may not get fulfilled!

    It is outrageous for a Government, a Minister or an MP, in a democracy to tell people who are exercising their legitimate rights of freedom and protesting about any issue (dusty roads that need tar seal in this case), to shut up for two weeks until the by-election is finished. It is even more outrageous to be threatened with words which imply that ‘if you don’t stop protesting for the next two weeks, we will punish you by not doing a bloody thing about those roads!’ That is definitely blackmail, worse than what Aaron Gilmore did.

    National’s campaign manager, Steven Joyce, says there were no instructions to MPs to shut down protest groups. Mr Key says he had nothing to do with Dr Reti’s call.

    This arrogant and disgraceful MP, Reti should resign or be sacked immediately. There is no other way. Nothing else is good enough. Is there?

    http://www.3news.co.nz/nznews/labour-pm-must-deal-with-bullying-mp-2015031904

  4. Observer (Tokeroa) 4
    19 March 2015 at 11:37 am

    @ Micky Saavage

    It is a pity that MP Shane Reti did not promote the cause of Ms Wright and the people assisting her. The issue has a lot to do with school buses competing for room with fast moving logging trucks. On unmade roads that are traversed in billows of unremitting dust.

    Reti is or was a doctor. A weak-kneed one apparently.

    Wouldn’t you think he should have supported the people in Northland rather than threatening them with post election reprisals?

    But of course, it takes a lot of guts to approach the wealthy National Cabinet. Too much for the knees of the doc. Besides, kids swallowing unmeasured amounts of swirling dust and composite, is not a problem for a medical man of Reti’s calibre.

    • ghostwhowalksnz 4.1
      19 March 2015 at 12:04 pm

      Perhaps Northland should ask why they have a toll road proposed for holiday

      highway( As it is currently up to Puhoi) while Waikato gets its new highway bypasses

      for free?

  5. Observer (Tokeroa) 5
    19 March 2015 at 12:13 pm

    The Waikato obviously has better Politicians … Ghost. Apart from that, it is Kim Dot Com’s fault.

  6. Brutus Iscariot 6
    19 March 2015 at 12:22 pm

    iPredict contract for a National byelection victory is trading at 23%. That’s disastrously low, and even if it reflects an overselling, there must be some pretty worrying internal polling floating around.

    Winston is a red hot chance.

    • ScottGN 6.1
      19 March 2015 at 1:48 pm

      It’s pretty much collapsed since last Sunday as the Nats campaign has imploded.

      • swordfish 6.1.1
        19 March 2015 at 3:14 pm

        Yeah, but I see Rob Salmond is cautioning people on the Left that high Early Voting numbers are evidence of the National Party Machine’s determination to turn out the Blue Vote. He argues it makes an Osborne victory rather more likely than a Winnie one. (A number of regulars here, of course, made essentially the same argument a week or so back – at least in terms of predicting the ideological proclivities of Early Voters).

        http://polity.co.nz/content/northland-advance-voting

  7. saveNZ 7
    19 March 2015 at 1:42 pm

    Go Winston!!!

  8. ghostwhowalksnz 8
    19 March 2015 at 2:30 pm

    Now thay are saying Whangarei port doesnt exist ( thats just a naming mixup, its called Mardsen port now)

    Or the Port company doesnt want a railway, funny that have been buying the land for the rail link since about 2008, and have got a council planning designation.

    The Taxpayers Onion have really gone all out to stop Winnie on this one. Anything National proposes is not really a problem.

  9. The Real Matthew 9
    19 March 2015 at 3:32 pm

    Whilst National’s Pork Barrel approach is impressive Winston has gone to a whole new level in his approach.

    According to the taxpayers union, Winston’s promises (which will never be enacted) amount to $165.96 per New Zealand taxpayer!

    That’s for a railway line to a Port which the CEO states the Port doesn’t want and wouldn’t use!!

  10. rawshark-yeshe 10
    19 March 2015 at 6:20 pm

    Well, Paddy Gower on TV3 has played a clip of Winston at Whananaki ( where he is from) explaining to his audience that when the Sabin issues are out in the open they will all be shocked.

    Paddy commented at the end that Winston will ensure the issue is out and in the open before the election.

    Hmmm.

    And this tweet from Winston:
    “What scoop did @patrickgowernz get at #Whananaki ? See @TheNationTV3 on Saturday”

    Hmmmm.

  11. alwyn 11
    19 March 2015 at 6:51 pm

    A little while ago I was told that I was wrong when I referred to John Banks as having been Mayor of Auckland. This I was assured was false because he had been Mayor of Auckland City. I had apparently dropped a very important word “City”.
    This post is carrying out a similar sin although here it is adding a word. That word is “Electorate”.

    You say
    “And the reverse side of Mark Osborne’s pamphlet which mimics NZ First information trotting out the rather stale line that a vote for Peters will mean a new MP from Southland. As Dave Clendon points out the claim is clearly wrong as currently there are precisely no MPs for the Northland electorate.

    Osborne, in his pamphlet refers to Northland, not “”Northland Electorate”. There is a member for Northland, who is the member for the electorate of Whangarei. The map clearly shows the whole of Northland, not just the area outside Whangarei. Why do you attempt to make a political point by making up your story using a made up statement, rather than sticking to what the man actually says in his pamphlet?

    • the pigman 11.1
      19 March 2015 at 6:53 pm

      Ahhh.. hahahaha… hahahahaha.

      You’re kidding right?

      If not, you have some difficulty with analogies. It’s his ELECTioneering material for the Northland ELECTorate. And you’re trying to tell us this isn’t about the Northland ELECTorate…? 😉

      • alwyn 11.1.1
        19 March 2015 at 7:07 pm

        I assume you don’t know where Whangarei is pigman?
        Just as a clue it in on the east coast within the area labelled “Northland” in his pamphlet. Have you never heard of it?

        • Skinny 11.1.1.1
          19 March 2015 at 8:21 pm

          Speaking of pamphlets, the nonsense one National posted on its Facebook page about Peters got given absolute stick for being churlish. I laughed at the desperation of it.

          Peters is going to expose why Sabin resigned nothing is more certain.One can assume this will be John Key’s moment of truth, coming on the back of the roast busters outcry expect this to be a nationwide bombshell that has the potential to cause John Key to resign.