Polity: Colin Craig confused

Written By: - Date published: 1:30 pm, June 23rd, 2014 - 27 comments
Categories: act, colin craig, conservative party, election 2014, john key, national, united future - Tags: ,

polity_square_for_lynnReposted from Polity.

This morning’s news from the Fairfax/Ipsos poll is that 81% of New Zealanders hate coat-tailing and want it gone. I agree with them. So does Labour. So do the Greens. So do Internet MANA. 1  National, of course, relishes coat-tailing. So – to the 81% – if you want 2014 to be the last election with any coat-tailing, vote for a change of government.

National already has deals with ACT and United Future which it (forlornly) hopes will bring in bonus right-leaning MPs on the coat-tails of their anointed victors in Epsom and Ohariu. And it is considering a further deal with Colin Craig’s Conservatives, something Craig has been almost begging them for over the last few months. Except now he has abruptly changed his mind:

Colin Craig launched his Conservative Party’s election campaign by assuming a strong moral stance — including ruling out any “bland and inspid cup of tea” electoral deal with National like the one used to keep Act in Parliament.

But while Mr Craig, who confirmed he will stand against Foreign Minister Murray McCully in East Coast Bays, said he would turn down a cup of tea with Prime Minister John Key to give him he nod in the electorate, it would help if National let him win the seat anyway.

So according to Craig, Key’s job is to give just him a seat, entirely of his own accord, with no “insipid” discussions about the quid pro quo. Good luck with that.

In order to give Craig the seat, Key has to hold a news conference announcing it, so that National voters in East Coast Bays will know what to do. If Craig hasn’t come to the table and thrashed out some kind of post-election deal, what kind of reason can Key give for pulling the rug out from under McCully? The Bolger play from Wellington Central in 1996 doesn’t work. Maybe he could go with “time for a change?”

  1. Of course, while the current rules remain in place, left parties will properly use every legal tool available to them to bring the country better government. Its just the same as ACT, which opposes public election funding, accepting a broadcasting allocation.

27 comments on “Polity: Colin Craig confused ”

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  1. grumpy 1
    23 June 2014 at 1:39 pm

    “Colin Craig confused”…..you don’t say?

  2. Clemgeopin 2
    23 June 2014 at 1:40 pm

    If this wealthy Craig dude and his party cannot win on their own policies and their own meri, and needs to beg for an arm up his backside from National, then he and his party deserve to lose, as does National if it tries to prop up these shameless cowardly critters which hardly have any real voter support from people of ECBays, Epsom and Ohariu based on the party’s own steam. All these buggers, including National need to be taught a bloody good lesson they won’t forget in a hurry, learn to take ‘personal responsibility’ they demand of others and show us they can stand on their own right wing merits and their own rock star self worth.

    • yeshe 2.1
      23 June 2014 at 1:46 pm

      awesome reply Clemgeopin !

      and who on earth is doing Craig’s media ? The recent photos look like they might have come from a conservative gay dating website imho …

      http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/10187803/Voters-reject-riding-on-the-coat-tails

      • Rosie 2.1.1
        23 June 2014 at 1:55 pm

        That was the photo provided in the link in the psot – I think that photo of him there, and last weeks one of him reclining in long grass in his suit with an odd come hither look of his goofy face are just plain creepy and bizarre.

        • Molly 2.1.1.1
          23 June 2014 at 2:38 pm

          I agree. But more than thankful that I’ve not seen the rejected photos. If these are examples of the cream of the crop, you’ve just got to wonder what the rest looked like…

    • Tracey 2.2
      23 June 2014 at 3:46 pm

      and no cries of “trying to buy his way into parliament so he can legally hit his kida”

  3. Rosie 3
    23 June 2014 at 1:51 pm

    Did I hear Colin Craig say something wacky on the news this morning? I thought I heard him say, in regard to speculation about National gifting the seat to him and dropping McCully, “history shows us that both National and Labour have done these sorts of deals…………” National yes, of course, Epsom, but Labour?

    I am unaware of Labour ever doing this, and given their opposition to such deals it’s unlikely, but to give ol’ tinfoilhat the benefit of the doubt can someone please confirm that this has never been the case? Ta.

    • Lanthanide 3.1
      23 June 2014 at 2:08 pm

      The only case for Labour is 1999 with Corromandel for Jeanette Fitsimmons. Comments on the standard indicate that the Labour electorate organisation got behind Jeanette, even if the national office didn’t (or not explicitly).

      Craig has also said that Labour has stood aside for Jim Anderton in Wigram which is flat out false.

  4. Lanthanide 4
    23 June 2014 at 2:06 pm

    “National already has deals with ACT and United Future which it (forlornly) hopes will bring in bonus right-leaning MPs on the coat-tails of their anointed victors in Epsom and Ohariu. ”

    As the post from the other day outlined, doing an electorate deal benefits the larger party by on average 0.5 of a seat. So even regardless of coat tailing, they have a reason to do this. ACT have the additional benefit for being a hard-right stalking horse.

    • AB 4.1
      23 June 2014 at 2:28 pm

      Yes – the presence of bogus or ‘shell’ parties doesn’t get much discussion. John Banks (ACT) and the Hairdo from Ohariu (UF) got so few party votes that nobody got in on their coat-tails.

      But they still distorted proportionality and this is a much harder practice to regulate against.

      How do you decide if a small party in a single electorate is a ‘shell’ party for a major one – and therefore any electorate seat it wins should be counted in the allocation of that major party?
      Could some independent electoral body make this determination or is just too fraught?

  6. Tracey 6
    23 June 2014 at 2:56 pm

    David Seymour, ACT candidate for Epsom says the number one issue for the good folk of Epsom is

    Drum roll

    Unsolved burglaries!

    I know this cos he sent my partner and i a letter telling us he has been door knocking like crazy and thats the number one concern.

    Meanwhile Ms Gentner sent us a letter suggesting transport is really important to Aucklanders. Perhaps David should knock on HER door?

    • AB 6.1
      23 June 2014 at 3:03 pm

      So Mr Seymour is suggesting tighter regulation of banks and financial markets then to prevent all these unsolved burglaries in Epsom?
      Or should that be “by Epsom”

      • Tracey 6.1.1
        23 June 2014 at 3:50 pm

        it gives an insight into.

        A. The self absorbed world of mr seymour; and/or
        B. The self absorbed world of the epsom voters whose doors mr seymour knocked on.

        Although in ACT i think “door knocking” means polling by phone

        • Rosie 6.1.1.1
          23 June 2014 at 4:21 pm

          Tracey, it must hurt sometimes, living in the ACT zone, being surrounded by all that, that, that………..vacuous fluff.

          It’s hurts sometimes, living here in the Dunne zone. Both electorates bring headaches to 99% of the population.

          Funnily enough Dunne produces similar material to the letter you received from David Seymour. Nothing to do with anything of vital political importance, just a distracting minor issue, all to do with focusing on the small stuff of daily life.

          Dunne has a fondness for visiting schools and the opening of envelopes and enjoys sharing these cherished moments in his newsletter he distributes to his constituents.

          • TeWhareWhero 6.1.1.1.1
            23 June 2014 at 6:03 pm

            You think it’s hard to live in the ACT-zone or the Dunne-zone? Try the Colin King-zone. Never heard of Colin King? Well, exactly.

          • Tracey 6.1.1.1.2
            24 June 2014 at 5:33 pm

            Rosie

            My brothers and father are right wing so i live with it in many ways.

            One brother is wavering big time, even shifted all private and business banking to tsb cos he is annoyed at 15b going offshore…he is very market driven so…

  7. dimebag russell 7
    23 June 2014 at 2:56 pm

    he doesn’t know if he wants to be God himself or if just Moses will do.

  8. weka 8
    23 June 2014 at 3:07 pm

    “So according to Craig, Key’s job is to give just him a seat, entirely of his own accord, with no “insipid” discussions about the quid pro quo. Good luck with that.”

    Meanwhile, the Green Party have quietly chosen to not stand candidates in some electorates most notably Te Tai Tokerau (Harawira) and Waiariki (Sykes). Myself, I don’t have any problem with this and good on the GP for showing how it can be done.

  9. Jrobin 9
    23 June 2014 at 3:42 pm

    Unsolved burglaries by Epsom my pick AB.

  10. infused 10
    23 June 2014 at 3:51 pm

    man this guy is a tool

  11. aerobubble 11
    23 June 2014 at 4:12 pm

    Craig Colins is supposed to be trying to attract the moral vote.

    Coat-tailing meant ACT got a number of MPs and NZF got more votes and no MPs.

    Hardly the way to start off Mr Colins.

    Do you mean to continue meeting moral problems in the same way.

  12. Clemgeopin 12
    23 June 2014 at 11:34 pm

    A three way deal between Key, Craig and McCully in the near future will look somewhat like this…..Enjoy!
    http://www.listener.co.nz/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/3wayhandshakekey.gif