Internet MANA – who wins, who loses plus predictions

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Here are who I think are the winners, losers, neutral, mixed blessings plus predictions of what we will see come out of Internet MANA.

 

WINNERS:

MANA: MANA have been underestimated in their negotiation skills. They have negotiated a short sharp electoral alliance that gains them profile, technology and resources. They have maximised their political leverage with their deep flax root community level structures and arrived at a deal that protects and maintains the kaupapa and mana of MANA.

Labour: They must have gone with ‘Internet MANA’ because ‘David Cunliffe’s Auckland Lefty Mates Party’ was too long a name.  Labour are a huge winner here, as they now have options. Labour can hold the Left-Centre while cutting deals with the right/conservative Left (NZ First), and the Real Left of  Internet MANA.  The chances of a Labour led Government has advanced considerably by this move. Matt McCarten is on good terms with NZ First, Labour’s factions, the Greens and Internet MANA. The nervous system of a Government in waiting has been formed by this.  David Cunliffe just got a step closer to being the Prime Minister.  In terms of criticism that this will cannibalise the Left vote, this Party is aimed at those not engaged and targeted in Maori electorates, it’s new voters they are targeting, not Labour voters. The majority of those who didn’t vote at the last election are young, maori and young maori, this political pairing up can appeal to that demographic in a way Labour doesn’t.

Maori: Maori have seen the impact of what sitting at the table costs you when you aren’t needed to actually prop that table up. The Maori Party couldn’t effect any real change for Maori because all they were to National was political camouflage to make National’s agenda seem far more moderate than it ever actually was.  Internet MANA intends to have the numbers to make the Parliamentary majority meaning Maori get their issues championed by the most dedicated voices inside a Government reliant on them for support rather than mere lip service.  Claims this is a bastardisation of the Maori electorates ignores the fact this strategy enables the voices within those electorates in a way that actually impacts policy. Tu Ururoa Flavell can jump up and down as much as he likes, but if the Maori electorates aren’t there to actually force change for Maori, then what’s their point? Symbolic representation just for the sake of symbolic representation?  The poverty stats for Maori deserve better representation than that.

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Internet Community: If some within the Internet Community were saddened that the leader wasn’t a Technocrat, they should wait to hear Laila speak. Her intelligence and lobbying skills are unmatched on the Left and she will champion the Internet unlike any before her. Ben Gracewood, Russell Brown, Thomas Beagle, Seeby Woodhouse, Paul Brislen and Jordan Carter will all find an articulate ally in Harre.

Hone: He has managed to pull off one of the great coups of the election with a leadership that has been enhanced by this process. His negotiating skills have been horribly under appreciated by his critics and his strategic eye isn’t acknowledged. These are now the same critics who claim he will lose his seat. If Hone had a dollar every time a pakeha commentator wrote off his chances of winning Te Tai Tokerau, he wouldn’t be cutting this  deal in the first place. Guyon Espiner infamously predicted Kelvin would beat Hone at the last by-election  on Q&A.

Laila Harré:Her return to Parliament would be one of the great wins. She is considered to have been an incredibly talented MP  who left way too soon after the Alliance meltdown. Her media credibility and skills are unmatched on the Progressive side of politics, her championing of the Internet will be something to pay attention to.

Annette Sykes: Annette campaigned for 6 weeks last election and cut Flavell’s majority from 6812 down to 1883. She has been campaigning there now for 2 and a half years. Expect MANA to run very hard in Waiariki.

Auckland Left: Mai Chen has written about the growing economic power of Auckland, and I think an addition to this is the new political muscle of the Auckland Left.

NBR: Good scoop.

Voters wanting a change of Government: Labour + Greens won’t be enough to beat Key. Labour+Greens+NZ First may not be enough to beat Key, but Labour+Greens+NZ First+supply & confidence from Internet MANA will be enough to beat Key. Hell, if this really takes off, Labour+Green+ supply and confidence from Internet MANA might be enough for the majority. This alliance for the first time gives those voters wanting Key out an actual narrative of how they get him out.

Ikaroa-Rawhiti now competitive: MANAs surprise second at the Ikaroa-Rawhiti by-election means this electorate is competitive now Meka Whaitiri can’t rely on the entire Labour Party Caucus turning up to help. 

MMP Democracy: For all the crying foul of using the existing system as tactically as possible, this is MMP Democracy at work. It is alliances and strategic voting, that’s MMP and if it provides the numbers to bring a progressive Government in I won’t shed a single tear or waste one nights sleep on worrying if we have broken faith with the Greek fathers of Democracy. The Right have used these tactics since MMP was created, it’s time for the Left to wake up and adapt or lose.

Kim Dotcom: He has been underrated for far too long. His vision of an Internet electorate has genuine appeal and his learning curve has been steep but the team he has put together and the alliances he has built look like he will do what everyone said he couldn’t do, and that is get the Internet Party elected into Parliament.

 

LOSERS:

Mainstream media: Some look like a pack of flapping gums as they once again under estimate all the participants in this project. The only one with any appreciation of what is happening is John Armstrong and Rachel Smalley, while Vernan Small’s bitter opinion piece today is just a bit beneath the great oracle of Fairfax.  They need to stop reading Whaleoil and Kiwiblog and get some new Auckland sources.

Pure Left & Aesthetic Left:  Some of the Socialists weren’t happy with this, but then again, when was the last time the socialists were happy with anything? 1917? Progressive Socialists inside MANA (about 80% of the socialists within MANA) supported this, the Reactionary Socialists (remaining 20%) sided with Sue. The Emerald stormtroopers, Wellington twiterarazzi & newspaper editorials have universally screamed “sell out”, but I’d humbly suggest anyone looking at a line up of Harawira, Harré, Sykes and Minto while screaming “sell out” wouldn’t consider anything less than the female reincarnation of Marx birthed on the steps of Radio NZ during Saturday Mornings with Kim Hill as genuinely left wing.

Maori Party: Will possibly lose every seat this election. The deal with National has simply drained them of any credibility and they know it. This last minute gasp at trying to claim MANA have sold out the Maori electorates has so many holes in it coming from them that it just all sounds a wee bit silly.

National: While they will have the highest number on Election night, maybe 44%, with only United Future and maybe ACT to get them over, they will need to throw Conservative Party an electorate lifeline. This will terrify urban liberal National voters into voting Green and costing them the win because even a cup of tea suspended by helicopters over East Coast Bays broadcast live to the world couldn’t convince National voters to vote for a political circus freak like Colin Craig. There isn’t the concentrated level of bigotry within East Coast Bays for that to work, they just have too many public libraries.

 

MIXED BLESSINGS:

Sue Bradford: She was a winner for a stand of principled opposition, but the legitimacy of her criticism for not trusting the MANA leadership has sunk since the Harré announcement.

Kelvin Davis: A winner because he will get a high level Party list placing inside Labour, but also a loser because he seems hell bent on trying to beat up on Hone while missing who the actual opponent is, John Key. If Internet MANA don’t pick up the unengaged, Labour can’t win. That’s the Parliamentary math.  Kelvin needs to chill.

 

NEUTRAL:

The Greens: For all the talk of the Greens being hurt by this, I think that’s minimal. Anyone the Greens will lose to Internet MANA will be picked up from soft National vote moving from Key to the Greens once the desperation of needing the Conservatives kicks in . They may be miffed by Harré’s defection, but the Greens own lack of engagement with the Auckland Left is as much to blame for this power rupture in Auckland as anything else is.

 

PREDICTIONS:

-Expect a new tour of Town Hall GCSB protest meetings as more Snowden revelations come to light.

-The ‘Whaleoil bomb’ will be minimal.

-The Green vote won’t slip much.

-Expect to see more joint policy statements between Green and Labour.

-Expect National to throw the Conservative Party an electorate.

-Expect Epsom Labour, Green and Internet MANA candidates in Epsom to push only for the Party vote and allow the electorate vote do the most damage by voting National and locking ACT out.

-Expect policy that NZ First and Greens can both benefit from.

-Expect to see most of the gains by Internet MANA to come from the ‘don’t knows’.

-Expect a level of Crosby-Texter counter attacks via blog and msm that will be brutal in their viciousness.

-Cunliffe’s chances of becoming Prime Minister to increase.

59 COMMENTS

  1. “A winner because he will get a high level Party list placing inside Labour, but also a loser because he seems hell bent on trying to beat up on Hone while missing who the actual opponent is, John Key. If Internet MANA don’t pick up the unengaged, Labour can’t win. That’s the Parliamentary math. Kelvin needs to chill.”

    Labour and MANA need to work together in these seats. This means that MANA may have to pull out of one, and Labour needs to pull out of a couple.
    We need to admit that the Left and centre Left have no ability to vote tactically…and sometimes it’s difficult to make a clear statement to voters on how to vote. This is MMP, stop sticking to FPP ideals

    • Spot on Fats (if I may be so familiar), the Left needs to spell out very clearly electorate by electorate how to vote.

      Maybe a website or app (IP?) that can work out your electorate from GPS and then approximates a ballot paper with the relevant marks on it. Might need to check that isn’t against the election rules – but certainly do something within the rules that ensures all votes count.

      Secondly, get the people to the ballot box. The Right instinctively know they have to turn up and vote to exert power. However, when the Left turn up in numbers they win, high correlation between voter turnout and Labour/left victories.

      Thirdly, David Cunliffe, act like you’re the next prime minister – chill, smile (not in a smug way) and talk about your vision. The incumbent has the “act” down. (I suspect he goes to bed at night, pinches himself, and wonders if this is real “they’re still buying this shit, seriously – god I’m good. This memory lapse thing has to run out one day, but till then…”).

    • I agree Fatty. I think Labour needs to get Kelvin to stand down and put him high on the list (as Bomber states) and Mana needs to get someone to stand down in one of those other seats. I’d suggest Ikaroa-Rawhiti (even though Mana came second in that seat) because Labour has a lot of sentimental attachment to it at the moment. It might not in the years to come, but that might be a doable deal.

  2. Excellent article and good analysis!

    To me it is true democracy in action. However, the left block needs to be pragmatic and smarter under MMP. This is what I propose:

    The left block of Labour, Greens and the Internet MANA should ensure less votes are wasted, the present government of Key is sent packing and a socialist oriented fairer government is formed.

    To achieve this aim, the left block should sit together now and chart out a plan for seat/party vote adjustments in all or in as many constituents as possible, especially in the marginal seats, the Maori electorates and in Epsom, Ohariu and Craig’s electorates.

    The aim should be to ensure that
    the Internet Mana gets about 4 to 5 seats with two electorate wins,
    the Greens get 13 to 15 seats with 2 to 3 electorate wins
    and Labour gets 45 to 50 seats in all.
    This plan could result in the left block securing 62 to 70 or more seats for the left block.

    The cabinet should include about 2 positions for the Internet Mana and about 5 positions for the Greens and the rest for Labour.

    If such a plan is not undertaken, there is every chance of the left votes being wasted to the big advantage of the right block of National, ACT, UF, CONS and the Maori party.

    A strong showing of the Left block in the election result will also make NZF non relevant or less relevant in the Government formation.

    • Agree 99%. The left needs to stop worrying about vague principles and work out how to win certain electorates. There needs to be a unified approach in Epsom, Ohariu and wherever Craig stands.

      Labour/Greens/IM need to send the same message – vote for whoever is the most likely candidate is to knock off the common enemy. If it is the National candidate, as it would likely be in Epsom and Craigland, then call it the clothespeg strategy – put one on your nose on polling day.

      Labour/Greens/IM can then compete for the party vote as always. This is MMP, we get two votes. Splitting is no problem.

      My only disagreement with Clemgeopin’s points is that the Greens don’t need electorate seats – they are far enough above 5% that they can campaign only for party votes where they can get them.

    • What need is there for electorate seats if not going to use an overhang? This is an MMP system that we have. The party vote is the important one. There is a case for IMP to get one electorate seat and get one or two in from the list, but that consideration doesn’t apply to the Greens or to Labour.

  3. Expect JK to use tactics where he can’t be found out, but if he were to be found out the ructions would blow his head off. Crosby text or rule #1. You can do what you like as long as you can’t be found out. Makes sense.

    • Indeed, the Crosby-Textor (I think that’s how it’s spelled) driven attacks will be vicious. As the Nats become more desperate the nastier things will get.

      Look for a string of National party staffers to be jettisoned as they take the fall for tasteless and unacceptable attack ads that JK cannot be seen to found out for i.e. will not take responsibility for.

  4. Now we just need to get KDC citizenship so he can take Helensville in the byelection when Key rage-quits 😀

  5. I think you’ve misunderstood the radical socialist objections. Which actually explains a lot of the vitriol.

    Look, if the aim is to get awesome activists into parliament with a higher party vote, and to hope that they alone will be able to push through great left wing policies, then this alliance makes perfect sense. If that is your aim, that’s valid, and this alliance is good.

    However, from the left, from my point of view at least, we don’t think that even getting six or ten MANA MPs will be able to deliver the changes we want. Parliament doesn’t work like that, even if the MANA MPs are as staunch and good as Hone, Laila, John, and Annette are. What’s important is being able to fight for change after the election, to have MPs who won’t be in parliament debating in futile endeavor against a Labour government, but who will be on the street, in the protest.

    The alliance hinders that ability, because it takes legitimacy out from the movement. A party bankrolled by Dotcom, the same Dotcom who’s first political action was to donate to the ACT party, is going to have a tough time convincing people to protest with it, although it will have a comparatively easier time convincing people to vote for it.

    • But they all participate in activist protests, all the time. Each one of them, you seem to be demanding a level of purity that is a bit Ayn Rand-esk

      • I didn’t say that the leadership would no longer take part in protests, though I can understand how you might have gotten that idea. My point was that it will be more difficult for them to convince others to come on protests, because they will be perceived to have taken money from a libertarian millionaire to get into parliament.

        Now, if you disagree with that analysis, and think that when Labour refuses to implement the reforms we need, Internet MANA will be able to pull thousands of people onto the streets, then fair enough. I hope you’re right. I don’t think you are, but I hope so.

        • No offence, James, but leaders like Hone, Annette, John Minto plus their supporters are the ones on the streets protesting. They’ve never shirked from that duty. It would, however, be nice for all those concerned with protest to turn up and support on the day as well.

    • KDC donated to Banks for his mayoral election, not to ACT party. Banks joined ACT much later. Be truthful in your posts.

  6. I think you’re forgetting Rangi McLean, the Maori Party candidate for Tamaki Makaurau. The Maori Party just need one seat to survive.

  7. The most important part of the equation is the TTT voters. Success relies on TTT voters acceptance of Hone’s new bed fellows, and none of them have a history of doing anything relevant for Maori as Maori. The Maori Party have finally got the bullet they need and Te Ururoa will fan the perception that this alliance perverts and denigrates the purpose of the Maori seats which is Maori representation. If there’s a backlash this experiment could blow up in Hone’s face, and even worse provide another reason to dismantle the Maori seats. That is what is being gambled with here.

    • That is a risk – granted, but I think it’s small for two reasons.
      1. Hone’s old bedfellows weren’t that different when you look at the people (Sykes, Minto, Bradford etc to Harre, Sykes, Minto etc) so I don’t think that’s a hard sell for him.
      2. More importantly for TTT voters – who through thick and thin has been unwavering in advocacy for them? I’m pretty sure they know that and will vote accordingly.

  8. At times I think you are “crazy”, Martyn, but reading this, and some other contributions you wrote before, I must concede, you are not as crazy as I thought.

    I must admit, we live in peculiar times, and it is a world dominated by corporates, also of internet and media corporates, who just deliver us the usual fodder, mainly low level, shallow entertainment, infotainment and a lot of “dumbing down”.

    No matter how good our intentions, and no matter what government we vote in, left or centre or right, it is going to mean little change in the status quo, as the powers of commerce, banking, corporates and also spy agencies is so strong, they will corrupt any force.

    That asks for special measures, and it may just even justify “dancing with the devil”, I fear, to challenge the status quo.

    I sense and in part fear, we are there, at this stage in history, where different measures may need to be tried, to overthrow the system as it is.

    We need a challenge that puts some autonomy and power back into each persons’ hands and into society’s hands, and if it necessitates doing such a “deal” with a desperate internet tycoon, who operated on the borderline of what the establishment consider “legal”, perhaps we should allow this to go ahead and take on the challenges we all face.

    MANA have done better than I thought and feared, and I have regained a humble bit of trust in what has been agreed to. I am still a bit skeptical, as I am also a person believing in principles. I am also a damned realist and see that this may be high risk, but it may be pragmatic a step to take.

    I am at the moment listening to Jim Mora and his guests on Radio NZ National, and even our so much “loved” or rather despised blogger David Farrar concedes, this appears to be a “reverse take-over by Mana of the IP”!?

    So I will follow with great interest whether the goal to attract the so far politically disinterested and inactive young persons out there will be achieved.

    I would be disappointed if this means the Greens will lose votes, as that should not be the purpose of this effort.

    At least we can say, this election year is one of highly unpredictable developments and is becoming very, very exciting, whether people like MANA, the IP and their new Internet Mana alliance or not.

  9. I could not agree more this partnership is going to bring this election alive and as i have just said to a friend of mine, it will give the young disenfrancised 18 to 25 voters .

    Whose voice has been supressed and who’s hopes have been trampled on whether as a student or first time job hunter, with the 90 day job trial law, youtth rates and the likes.

    Internet / mana is definitely the party for them to seriously consider voting for.

    ALL i CAN SAY IS WELL DONE HONE AND WHOEVER CAME UP WITH THIS IDEA.

  10. The NZ left needed something to replace the Alliance, and this has the potential to be it. Somehow the Greens appeal hasn’t widened much outside middle-class urban electorates, and IMP could fill the gap.

    The party still has a major problem with Hone’s perceived racism towards whites, but the IP alliance could help shake the idea that Mana only represents Maori interests. How IMP performs in working-class electorates will be interesting.

    I’m not sure how Martyn defines ‘reactionary socialists’, but their only time will tell if they are correct. It could be years until we find out whether this can create a classic ‘popular front’, or if it was just rank opportunism as feared.

    • “The party still has a major problem with Hone’s perceived racism towards whites, but the IP alliance could help shake the idea that Mana only represents Maori interests.”

      Maybe Hone is not so much a “racist” after all, he may just have “bad” feelings due to the colonisers of New Zealand Aotearoa, who were primarily the English? Like one senior spokesman for Tuhoe has some heritage that is different, there may actually be some bizarre sympathy some Maori have with Germans, as there seems to have been a high degree of intermarriage between ethnic Germans and Maori in history, than even between original English and Scots and so and Maori?

      Perhaps it is the Germans (like Dotcom) that may appeal more, due to their culture of valuing honesty and integrity, and being pragmatic, which has not always been valued to the same degree by the English elite that ruled “Britannia”, and thus also threw their hegemony onto these shores? Perhaps the similar way of pronouncing language, and other aspects are making the difference, rather than “hate” for “whites”?

      Also this country could well have become a French colony and taken a totally different course in history. Love or hate the French, they are also not all bad, and may have offered Maori something they never got under British rule?

      Anyway, we should move past all this, and look towards the future, and Hone now is not the one from a few years back, he has certainly matured and become a better human being, I am absolutely sure of this, having followed him and his political journey.

      Many in the media and elsewhere will confirm this, I am sure.

  11. Excellent analysis, Martyn.

    Though I wonder if National voters will “hold their noses” and vote for Colin Craig in a gifted electorate seat – just as Green and Labour voters in Epsom would don gas-masks to cast their electorate votes for a National candidate? Hmmmm…

    Anyway, love the analysis and your poetic descriptions.

    We live in exciting times!

    • I know Mana supporters who also voted for National in the Epsom electorate in order to try and get Act out and make it harder for Key !!! (We’re all in it together on the left if we want to be)

      • Yes, and if everyone has the IMP “how to vote” app on their smartphone, that sort of tactical voting can be greatly amplified!

  12. Hang on, Kim Dotcom gave money to banks, the rightest of right just a couple if years ago, now its to the leftest of the left.
    How can you take him seriously…money goes to whomever he thinks will help me, simple as that.
    I notice this article doesnt exactly question this?

    • There are three reasons to take KDC seriously.

      The right (that’s you) are clearly frightened of him and miss no opportunity to demonise him. The enemy of my enemy is not my friend but he might be my ally.

      A lot of people would’ve folded with the GCSB, the Gnats, the Feds, the NSA, Hollywood and the MSM all trying to screw him. Say what you like, KDC is not short of guts.

      He offers real opportunities to the left and to NZ politics – he is resourceful, he has skills, tech knowledge, a global and futuristic perspective, and fund-raising abilities.

      It’s true that he may not turn out well – he could turn into a useless plonker like Peter Dunne – but Dunne is in and doing damage now. KDC’s entitled to try, and his choice of company suggests he has learned who can be trusted in NZ, and who cannot.

      • Also, he’s going to be at arm’s length from the political coalface. If anyone imagines that KDC will be dictating moves to Laila… well, they will soon know Laila better.

      • “Willing seller and willing buyer”, the aphorism by Dunne has defined the National Party and its backroom croney capitalists. At least IMP has worked openly and transparently to create a real political alliance, that has, and will have broad appeal.

    • There was a minor series of incidents in between those two events that involved helicopter/s, armed police(?) invasion, getting roughed up, assets frozen, cars removed, a stint in Mt Eden, threats of extradition, secret squirrel by his accusers, revelations by Snowden, revelations of an odd sequence of events around the GCSB etc.

      Maybe, just maybe these might have caused KDC to re-evaluate his world view.

      To assess KDC as one would assess some bloke down the road would be a severe mistake. How well would you bounce back from what he’s been through? Love or loathe him he’s no ordinary character. Will we discover that he’s really some nefarious shyster? Possibly, but if he leaves behind an organisation, the IP, that stands for what it does then good on him.

      We could, of course, start applying the same moral yardstick to a few other people and see how we get on. What do you call selling off assets in face of massive opposition in referendum? How do you explain a couple of billion dollars magicked up to bail out SCF? Where has the $30bn in increased overseas debt gone? Whose hands has it ended up in – ordinary NZers? Why do film moguls get massive subsidies/tax breaks? Why does our leader support extra-judicial execution?
      And, the funny thing is – we take these guys seriously.

  13. I should be be on the Winners list.

    I have been mightily entertained by the fever from the Whale Oil and Farrar mobs in their reactions. I am a bit surprised and disappointed the Prime Minister hasn’t proclaimed that it’s “not cricket” for Harawira, Harre, Sykes and Minto to do what they’re doing.

    Mind you I see he’s irked by the notion of buying influence. God I’ll miss those dinners at Antoine’s chatting with him, the thousands burning holes in my pockets!

  14. Sausages, one sane voice among the enthusiasts.
    Dotcom smilingly controls the money, Hone glows with his newly acquired reasonable smiling face, and Harre smiles beautifully as she basks in the new limelight. But behind the smiles we know lie the self centred, dodgy capitalist; the politically determined rockweiller; and the scrappy, intelligent take-no-prisoners career politician.
    How long can it hold together?

      • Yep Martynbr.

        I think the Right are livid that buying influence has moved from the backroom, Antoines, Golf Matches, Cabinet Clubs, Oravida offices and Dunedin hotel rooms out into the light of day.

        No wonder Slater is apoplectic to the point of popping a vein in his forehead.

        Making democratic goals transparent and melding minds and parties for the purpose of bringing down neoliberal scourge Key and his cabal is the end.

        The end justifies the means. Get democracy back from the sewers, golf ranges and backroom croney offices.

    • There is something you have left out of the equation. Laila Harre, a left left left woman and an intelligent hugely capable person with a strong history. She will not be mucked around with by Dotcom. Vikram Kumar another hugely capable intelligent person.

  15. To state that the Greens have been ignoring the Auckland left is one opinion, I don’t feel ignored by them and I’m in Auckland. What we need is a united party on the left again, not a bunch of factions with half of them not taken seriously by most New Zealanders. The Greens don’t have many MP’s all up and are very very busy tackling a lot of issues (many issues that many on the left fail to engage with in the same way such as climate change, the state of our waterways, food labeling, protecting conservation land from National’s mining, promoting their progressive education policy etc etc – If they had more MP’s they could take on all the Auckland social-issues that they feel equally strong about and have a range of policies that focus on it like the Living Wage, and if we had a united party on the left with the Greens and Mana and the Internet party (minus .Com) then this would be a force to reckon with. The problem is, everyone on the left thinks they are original and therefore the best answer, but in terms of the Greens, Mana and IP they are not very different at all when it comes down to it. I am disappointed that there are these factions and it’s time to move on from it and all link up to beat National – this would mean more Mana Mp’s too in my view – but first .Com would have to distance himself away from it all, as weather we like it or not, to most New Zealanders his money has a bad smell from John Banks.

  16. Why would urban National party supports switch support to The Greens because of any deal with the Conservatives? Presumably they support right of center economic policies so are more likely to vote Labour or NZ First if they don’t like any deal with the Conservatives

  17. You don’t think voters are going to see through this arrangement as Kim Dot Com trying to buy an election?

    You must not rate the electorate high on IQ. (Perhaps not the worst assumption ever made!)

  18. Not only do the right wing supporters’ view of the Internet Mana Party not matter since they wouldn’t vote for them anyway, all the people who might vote for IMP aren’t the sort to give a shite what they think anyway. So while fearmongering by National might put some potential Green voters off, IMP is completely impervious to any attacks from the Right.

    • @ Fambo – your assessment is 100% correct.

      @ The Real Matthew – when referring to “buying elections” through “arrangements”, I take it you exclude the Epsom deal between Key and Banks? Maybe I’m deflection, but really, what is the difference?

      And if there is no difference, Matthew, one would think the Right would be fine with this kind of “arrangement” because it validates the Epsom stich-up; the Ohariu stitch-up; and the coming Conservative Party stitch-up…

      • When I say buying elections I’m referring to the $4 million KDC is advancing to the campaign fund. I think you will agree with me that people with huge sums of money (I’m including Colin Craig in this) attempting to buy their way into parliament is not a good thing.

        As for the National Party deals Peter Dunne wins his seat on merit and the Epsom stitch up didn’t really help National a heck of a lot as Banks didn’t bring anyone into parliament with him.

        Not sure if Colin Craig is going to be gifted a seat. With National announcing strong candidates for the electorates he might be considered in time is quickly running out.

      • Test it for yourself, Frank. Imagine, I don’t know, a convicted fraudster German millionaire with a fascination for Nazi memorabilia who was fighting extradition for crimes in another jurisdiction paid $4m to, I don’t know, the ACT party.

        Say that he’d previously vowed to crush another politician that he’d paid money to for not subverting the legal process for his benefit when he got in to trouble.

        Imagine also that he paid his staff below the minimum wage and had a trail of creditors, all the while tooling around in Bentleys and making really shit music.

        You’d say “KK” to that, would you?

        • Those are quite a few allegations there, Ole.

          Can you substantiate the one about paying “his staff below the minimum wage”?

          Because so far, all you are doing is parroting garbage from Whaleoil.

          (I’ll concede the bit about his dubious musical talents.)

        • The Gormless Fool formerly known as Oleolebiscuitbarrell says:
          May 30, 2014 at 11:34 am

          […]

          Imagine also that he paid his staff below the minimum wage and had a trail of creditors…

          And by the way, I trust you’re aware that anonymity will not protect you from defamation laws?

          Just something to consider before you repost rubbish from Slater’s sleazy website.

        • Gormless, gormless, gormless. Hell I’ve read Ayn Rand and Mein Kampf – not sure who is the more loony nut bag. I’m thinking Rand and if not her, her followers have proven to be bat shit crazy throw the toys out the cart rent a mob. And at one time or another these books have been on my book shelf.

          As for Banks – he plays the game – he know the rules. He broke them, what he think – “free-pass”. Oh yeah he did, typical right wing were are the deserving ones shit, once again.

          I’ve also believe in innocent till proven guilty – shit what an old fashioned view that is.

          And lastly, I’m pretty sure if we looked at your recored/cd/download music I could point my finger and go – “Man, you are into some really shit music”.

      • Completely agree. It does indeed. Hence the left can’t really complain anymore about the right rorting the electoral system.

  19. …soft National vote moving from Key to the Greens…

    Right now there is an army of people tossing up whether to vote National or Green? Really? Really? Are you serious? Really?

  20. How to educate the kiwi voter to vote tactically?

    when i resided across the ditch I used to support the ALP .
    At election time all parties are allowed to hand out ‘how to vote cards’ at the polling booths .
    I used to perform this thankless task on behalf of the ALP.
    The Aussie system with it’s two houses and preferentials is more complex than ours and in my opinion more democratic. For example Abbott has now twice been defeated with getting his mining bill through the senate because he doesn’t control the upper house.
    Considering how long we have had MMP in NZ it is way past the time for our political parties to be handing out how to vote cards. Time we grew up and this election is the moment. We need this broad left coalition.
    Your analysis is spot on by the way Bomber.

  21. Laila Harré was on Paul Henry’s show last evening, and my god she was good. She adapted her responses to PH’s ‘keep-it-short-and-interrupt-them’ format with such ease, it was a pleasure to watch her. Go, Laila!
    Incidentally, she wore grey at the announcement of her appointment as IP party leader, signifying she was not on an ego trip. A lesser woman would have worn purple.

  22. NEWSFLASH: Right wingers have been rorting MMP since b4 it began.

    The right wing rort and manipulation of MMP is probably THE political story of the last 25 years, if the right wing media would give the story the light of day.

    Details here (careful, the skulduggery is confusing):

    pre MMP – National and Labour MPs leave their parties before the first MMP election and form the Future NZ party, which later becomes United NZ Party and then United Future NZ party. Think Peter Dunne.
    1996 – 1st MMP election, the 5 Maori Mps (with NZ First) hold balance of power and side with National. (remember Winston was a National MP three years before this). Ex nat backs nat.
    1997 – Alamein Kōpu leaves alliance to prop up national govt.
    1998 – Winston pulls away from National. His 5 national MPs leave him and form a new party, Mauri Pacific, that props up the national govt.
    2008 – 5 Maori Party Maori seat MPs side with national govt, including ex labour MP (Turia). After a couple of years Harawira leaves this arrangement.
    2011 – (now) 3 Maori Party Maori seat MPs side with National.

    Since 1995 Peter Dunne has supported most govts, most recently supporting national to sell assets and to pass the GCSB laws.
    MMP rort themes:

    A long history of Peter Dunne manipulating the MMP system, setting up new parties to suit his political career. (starts as labour MP and ends up as United Future MP backing National govts, it makes the head spin!)

    The Maori seats being captured by parties who then back up national govts that decrease living standards for their voters. (Remember Maori seats are the poorest seats in the govt).

    Probably the biggest rort of all – the ACT party. Set up and run by ex labour MPs (Prebble and Roger Douglas) and then led by ex national MPs like Brash and Banks. These people must operate on the hope that people have no memories. They really are shameless.

    • Prebble and Douglas were ex-Labour in name only. They were right-wing neoliberals who couldn’t hijack National because of Rob Mudloon. Bob Jones had a bit to do with the political quagmire of the 80’s. If that isn’t clear enough, what Party do Prebble, Douglas, Brash, Hyde, Coddington represent now? One to the right? Or left, of National? They are now all puppet masters to Jamie Whyte along with the Hollow Men of neo-National.

  23. 1. Laila Harre is an intelligent woman.

    2. She perceives – correctly – the dire necessity of ridding this country of the “Key syndrome”.

    ’nuff said.

  24. Laila Harre is articulate, which is what the Internet Party/IMP needs to communicate with the disaffected voters.

    I watch, and listen, with interest.

  25. ..”I’m one of those who sees Dotcom as a flawed person in many ways, while also recognising that to greater or lesser extents we are ALL flawed people. What I am absolutely grateful to him for is exposing the extent to which our own government was turning a blind eye to the law governing spying on us all. Further, he exposed the extent to which our own government allows other governments to spy on us all…and do it with impunity.

    Give the guy a medal. He’s done more for the cause of civil liberties in NZ than anyone else in recent times, despite the fact the government responded by eroding our freedoms even further. At least we now see them for what they really are….”

    http://publicaddress.net/system/cafe/hard-news-the-digital-natives/?i=25#replies

    And that in a nutshell is why the Nats hate dotcom ……

    Personally i think it will be housing affordability for the young ……. and the expensive shambles national is creating in the education sector which is going to bleed votes from them.

    I wish mana and the IP party well though .

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