Hard News by Russell Brown

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Hard News: Mt Albert: Cooperating, competing and carpooling

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  • Russell Brown,

    Here’s Jacinda Ardern’s robocall. The receiver comes down with quite a crunch at the end.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report Reply

  • Deborah,

    :-) Thank you!

    I loved being part of the Get Out The Vote push on Saturday. I was doorknocking in Sandringham, and there was so much support for Jacinda. So our big task was to get all those people out to vote. And they did.

    Julie Anne Genter came along to Jacinda's party late in the evening, and was warmly welcomed.

    New Lynn • Since Nov 2006 • 1447 posts Report Reply

  • Tristan, in reply to Russell Brown,

    Jacinda has this rare quality in a politician. She always sounds sincere and genuine.

    I know it drives the tories nuts that her sincerity doesn't seem to switch off when the cameras do

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 221 posts Report Reply

  • EE,

    Why did National not stand a candidate? Did they hope that this would split the Labour and Green parties? (FAIL) ... Or did they think Melissa Lee was just not a very good candidate?

    Auckland • Since Aug 2014 • 21 posts Report Reply

  • Russell Brown, in reply to EE,

    Why did National not stand a candidate?

    They'd have lost, like they did last year in Roskill, and that would have been a symbolically awful start to election year for the new leader.

    Probably also Melissa Lee would have said something terrible.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report Reply

  • nzlemming, in reply to Russell Brown,

    Probably also Melissa Lee would have said something terrible.

    +1

    Waikanae • Since Nov 2006 • 2937 posts Report Reply

  • Grant McDougall,

    The way much of the news media sees it, on the other hand, is OMG JACINDA’S SO POPULAR SHE SHOULD REALLY BE DEPUTY LEADER AND MAYBE EVEN LEADER

    An idea not helped by the schmucks at One News who had Ms Ardern captioned as "JACINDA ARDERN LABOUR LEADER" last night in the story.

    Dunedin • Since Dec 2006 • 760 posts Report Reply

  • Lynn Yum,

    As someone living under the iron heels of Jonathan Coleman (ok I jest) I am pretty envious of the Mt. Albert by-election: a real contest rather than a coronation.

    From what I can hear Ardern is clearly the candidate who did most of her homework, and sounded the most impressive, even though I doubt some of her ideas. (e.g. Having lived with light rail in Melbourne and Hong Kong, I can say first hand that light rail is sloooooooow, so I doubt people in Mt. Albert will like it very much in practice.)

    Based on the actual result it kind of confirmed one of my suspicions about the red-green alliance: that Labour will cannibalise the Greens votes, while the Greens can't get enough greeny National voters to switch. All the stars are aligned right now for a greater push for the environmentalist vote, like water quality and so on, but it would be interesting to see if the Greens can pull it off.

    Auckland • Since Dec 2016 • 38 posts Report Reply

  • Ian Dalziel,

    No noise complaints about the Pt Chev Bowls Club on Saturday night, I hope?
    ;- )

    Christchurch • Since Dec 2006 • 7953 posts Report Reply

  • Helga, in reply to EE,

    I think the latter. Melissa Lee making a showing anything like the one she made last time; straight after Parmjeet P's dreadful fist if Mt Roskill, was more than they could bear the prospect of.

    New Zealand • Since May 2012 • 18 posts Report Reply

  • Kevin McCready,

    Would be nice if the Green/Labour coalition could agree on preferential counting in electorate seats. This would be a simple interim step for electoral reform until we get proportional representation in electoral seats. It would eliminate strategic voting and be a plus for NZ democracy.
    https://kmccready.wordpress.com/2015/03/29/preferential-counting-in-nz-electorate-seats/

    Auckland • Since Jun 2013 • 119 posts Report Reply

  • Ben Austin,

    Reports from the ground indicate that the Green Party didn't really have much of a Get Out the Vote machine compared to Labour. Not suprising, but that

    London • Since Nov 2006 • 1027 posts Report Reply

  • Ben Austin,

    Whoops, cut that off awkwardly.

    What I meant to say is that having a solid GOTV operation is probably not something the Greens really need to have, being a Party/List vote organisation. I'm sure they could build one here and there (Wellington Central?) but that might distract/divert resources from what already works for them.

    London • Since Nov 2006 • 1027 posts Report Reply

  • Russell Brown, in reply to Ben Austin,

    What I meant to say is that having a solid GOTV operation is probably not something the Greens really need to have, being a Party/List vote organisation. I’m sure they could build one here and there (Wellington Central?) but that might distract/divert resources from what already works for them.

    But they do have a consistent problem with not matching their polling. Some practice at getting their vote out might be helpful.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report Reply

  • Craig Ranapia, in reply to Russell Brown,

    They'd have lost, like they did last year in Roskill, and that would have been a symbolically awful start to election year for the new leader.

    Sure - and it's no state secret that National has roughly the same ground force in Mount Albert that Labour does in North Shore. And coldly cynical as it may sound, National got what they wanted out of this -- becuase the by-election didn't turn into a referendum on the government.

    North Shore, Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 12370 posts Report Reply

  • Ben Austin, in reply to Russell Brown,

    Indeed. I would imagine it is probably one of those topics that they've argued about endlessly. It does take a lot of organisation and people though and maybe they just know they don't have it.

    I've long wondered why they haven't copied say the Lib Dem playbook from the UK - build up a solid council presence somewhere, then use that local network which is by now used to grassroots campaigning to try and take the seat. Obviously different countries / cultures and the NZ councils tend to be a lot smaller in councillor headcount which reduces scope, but it could work, if diligently applied.

    London • Since Nov 2006 • 1027 posts Report Reply

  • Rob Hosking,

    Certain political commentators' fevered predictions that National voters would rush to cast tactical votes for the Green candidate, thus handing Labour a humiliating defeat on home turf, didn't pan out – because normal people don't act that way, especially not on a balmy Saturday in February.

    *polite cough* as a political commentator who didn't predict it, but said it was possible, I'd point out they did in Northland, when Labour didn't put up a candidate.

    It does happen, although as Craig has alluded, Northland was a kind of referendum on the govt in a way Mt Albert wasn't.

    I think too much has been made of the byelection result by, well, pretty much everyone.

    South Roseneath • Since Nov 2006 • 830 posts Report Reply

  • Hilary Stace,

    I wish the media (like Tracy Watkins in DomPost today) would stop bullying Jacinda about the Labour Party leadership. She's just won an electorate with all the responsibilities that requires. She might want to start a family. She's a senior Labour MP and she's still in her mid-30s. Surely that's enough for now.

    Wgtn • Since Jun 2008 • 3229 posts Report Reply

  • Sacha, in reply to Hilary Stace,

    She might want to start a family.

    Has been quoted explicitly saying that.

    Ak • Since May 2008 • 19745 posts Report Reply

  • KathrynB, in reply to Rob Hosking,

    Labour did put up a candidate in the Northland by-election - as a political journalist you should know that.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2014 • 16 posts Report Reply

  • Ian Dalziel, in reply to KathrynB,

    Labour did put up a candidate in the Northland by-election

    Allow me to be your, er, corroboree?:

    BONNER, Adrian Paul IND 17
    CARR, Joe FNZ 113
    GRIEVE, Robin ACT 68
    HERBERT, Maki ALCP 94
    HOLLAND, Adam IND 16
    OSBORNE, Mark NAT 11,648
    PAINTING, Rob CLI 39
    PETERS, Winston NZF 16,089
    PORTER, Rueben Taipari MANA 60
    PRIME, Willow-Jean LAB 1,380
    ROGAN, Bruce IND 24


    http://archive.electionresults.govt.nz/2015_northland_byelection/

    Christchurch • Since Dec 2006 • 7953 posts Report Reply

  • Rob Hosking, in reply to KathrynB,

    Gahh. Memory playing tricks.

    Humbled.

    South Roseneath • Since Nov 2006 • 830 posts Report Reply

  • Rob Hosking,

    ..though it should be noted Labour sent a pretty clear message to its supporters to back Winston. http://i.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/67099070/andrew-little-prods-northland-to-vote-for-winston-peters

    South Roseneath • Since Nov 2006 • 830 posts Report Reply

  • Walter Nicholls,

    > OMG JACINDA’S SO POPULAR SHE SHOULD REALLY BE DEPUTY LEADER
    > Because of course what Labour needs in election year is yet another leadership shakeup.

    And in the news this morning, Annette King has just resigned and Ardern the blessed successor.. cue the media frenzy

    North Shore, Auckland • Since Jul 2008 • 42 posts Report Reply

  • izogi, in reply to Walter Nicholls,

    Annette King has just resigned and Ardern the blessed successor..

    I'll be interested to see how far Labour takes this.

    I guess there are arguments on both sides around this around the value of experience, but especially after the last election with such a low Party vote, it really seemed as if some great potential young candidates were locked out while people such as Annette King and Trevor Mallard stuck around.

    Even with Mallard retiring from his electorate, I see he's still planning to stay on the Labour List. Unless he's content with a low ranking, what would he hope to accomplish there besides taking up space that someone else might make better use of? It sounds as if he really likes being the Speaker, but if Labour were to actually form a government, surely it could find any number of adequate people for that.

    Wellington • Since Jan 2007 • 1142 posts Report Reply

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