Posts by Russell Brown
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Kaye definitely did do a lot of door knocking, I have no idea how much the Labour team did, but Paul's comment tends to suggest a certain amount of disarray in their campaign. I believe that Kaye, and a lot of other National candidates, took several months off before the election to campaign exclusively, and clearly this has paid off.
I think so. The National front-benchers we didn't see in the national campaign were also presumably back in their electorates campaigning hard. There's a lesson in that for Labour -- and for the Greens, who need to learn to get their vote out and translate their polling into real election results.
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On Douglas:
After the description that led me to take a look I was surprised to see a guy who appeared to be making good sense in his summation of recent times and only stating the obvious about the future.
You really thought his patronising rant about voters having been "bribed with their own money" for the last three years cut to the quick of the financial crisis? The public accounts are not the problem.
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Russell - exactly how many down on last election was the Auckland Central turnout ? I heard Tizard on the radio claiming it was 12,000 down. I find that hard to believe, anyone know ?
Don't know, but Brent Edwards said turnouts in the South Auckland electorates were 8-9000 down.
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Prebble's just suggested that Act stay out of formally being part of the gov't, as in the past the coalition parties have ended up as toast.
So do Act want to be in gov't or not ? This is getting weird.Wasn't that weird? More specifically, he seemed to suggest it as a response to not getting Douglas in Cabinet. It was another threat.
These people genuinely seem to regard pre-election undertakings as there to be abandoned.
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__I imagined bands of them roaming St Stephen's Ave, clutching bottles of pinot gris__
Ha.
"Braaaaains... lovely-lamb-brains-sauteed-in-a-little-white-wine-from-Antoines..."I LOL'd.
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English is giving the "first 100 days" interview to Kathryn Ryan now that Key was supposed to give last night. It seems like pretty solid stuff.
Crucial points: the public accounts are "in good shape" and it's the private balance sheets that are the issue. And also that cutting public spending in a recession would be counterproductive.
Roger Douglas has just come on and still does not seem to accept Key's word that he won't be in Cabinet. Good grief.
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Really? In his position, I'd be very very glad that Roger Owen Douglas overplayed his hand so comprehensively, and so quickly. No baubles for you, Rog, even though I never thought you were going to get them anyway.
That's certainly the other, valid, way of looking at it.
But I'm really startled by Act's behaviour in the last 36 hours. It reveals quite a lot about the personalities involved, and none of it good.
I fancy words have already been said: Hide was far less cocky on Morning Report today, and Bill English just now described Act as "a small party that hasn't been in government before" in an amusingly patronising fashion.
Also, Craig, I feel bound to note that you replied to my post at the same time I posted it. I didn't even have time to get out the stopwatch!
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Michael Cullen is stepping down from the deputy leadership of the LP according to the radio news. Sorry to lose these two great intellects from our country's leadership. I hope he and Helen find time to write their memoirs.
He'll be missed more if he decides he'd like a more sensible workload: Labour have leaned heavily on Cullen.
But, again: refreshment and renewal.
Cullen himself said it was "time to move on from a leadership position as the party rebuilds".
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@Paul
I don't begrudge the Nat's their win. I'm thankful for the last nine years (of course I have some worries for the next three years). I'm pleased however, that Labour's renewal is well advanced. 12 new members, some exceptional, will ensure the Opposition is energetic.
Quite. I'll post on this in the morning, but I hardly think the centre-left is bereft. As I've said all along, I'd like to have seen some of that new Labour talent enter three years ago, but the potential for refreshment and renewal is real. And, frankly, they needed refreshment and renewal whatever happened in the vote.
And it certainly was helpful for Sir Roger to scare the piss out of everyone in his election-night interview. That new Act caucus is a chamber of horrors.
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Voted about 2pm at Pt Chevalier primary school. Very smooth, no waiting.
One scrutineer with rosette (National) sitting happily observing. All very pleasant, really.
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