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Resilient in the polls despite 'Dirty Politics', National goes fishing for votes in Hauraki Gulf and Marlborough Sounds; ACT fears 'Frankenstein'

Resilient in the polls despite 'Dirty Politics', National goes fishing for votes in Hauraki Gulf and Marlborough Sounds; ACT fears 'Frankenstein'

By Bernard Hickey

With less than fortnight to go until the September 20 election, here's my daily round-up of political news on Monday September 8, including National's announcement of plans for modest tax cuts and ACC levy cuts.

Prime Minister John Key and Finance Minister Bill English said they planned modest income tax cuts from April 2017 and would reduce ACC levies by the equivalent of NZ$700 million to NZ$900 million per year.

"Any tax reductions will be modest, given the fiscal headroom available, and they will focus on low and middle income earners," Key said.

Here's National's full finance policy.

There was also another opinion poll showing National has brushed aside 'Dirty Politics' as it announces a plan to win the big recreational fishing vote.

TVNZ's Colmar Brunton poll published on Friday night found support for National rose 2% to 50%, while Labour fell 2% to 26% and Green fell 1% to 11%. New Zealand First rose 1% to 7% and Internet Mana and Conservative were steady on 2% and 3% respectively.

The poll of 1,000 eligible voters was taken from August 30 to September 3, immediately after the resignation of Judith Collins, and 7% of respondents were undecided or would not specify their party preference, down 5% from its previous poll. The has a 3.1% margin of error at the 95th percentile.

The polls taken in the week after the the resignation of Collins appear to show support for National either bouncing or remaining resilient at or above 47% despite the cascade of 'Dirty Politics' coverage.

National literally went fishing for votes on Sunday, announcing it would create recreational fishing parks in the inner Hauraki Gulf and the Marlborough Sounds.

Nick Smith and Nathan Guy said commercial fishing would be banned in the two areas under a new Marine Protected Areas Act.

"On a typical summer’s day on the Hauraki Gulf, there can be up to 6,900 recreational vessels on the water – that equals around 21,000 fishers. National wants to preserve the inner Hauraki Gulf exclusively for these fishers, so families in Auckland and across the wider region can continue to enjoy one of the country’s best-loved pastimes," Guy said.

Commercial fishers would either be able to catch their quota outside the area or be compensated, they said. Key suggested compensation of up to NZ$20 million.

'Dirty Politics' appeared to have burned itself out over the weekend, apart from this gem in the Waikato Times, where Judith Collins' older sister, Pamela Cassidy, said the former Justice Minister had been hounded by the media "exactly the same as what they did to Princess Diana."

"She is human and the family have to wear it too. People have feelings - or they should have," Cassidy said.

In minor party news.

TVNZ held its minor party leaders debate on Friday night. Winston Peters said the polls showing rising support for the other minor parties such as Conservative were wrong. Colin Craig said the Conservative vote would rise on election day.

Craig told TVNZ's Q+A on Sunday he would support a National Government if Conservative got over the 5% threshold. He also clarified that any referendum that put the Government's finances at risk may not be binding under the Conservative policy of binding referendums -- a bottom line.

Fearing 'Frankenstein'

Meanwhile, ACT Leader Jamie Whyte launched his party's campaign with a speech about Labour being the "flabby torso" of a "Frankenstein Labour-Green-Internet-Mana-New Zealand First Government."

David Cunliffe dismissed the speech thus: "He used to be a philosopher. Now he's not even a good name caller."

(Updated with National tax cut plan and ACC levy cuts)

See all my previous election diaries here.

See the index for Interest.co.nz's special election policy comparison pages here.

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25 Comments

You know I am starting to like Colin Craig.

  • He is untainted by the dirt
  • He comes across as honest and sincere.
  • He is genuinely concerned about  New Zealanders wellbeing
  • He has been bullied relentlessly by the media and kept going
  • MMP keeps our politicians on a tight reign , and he will keep the them  from unbridled power  
  • He is young with fresh ideas ( unlike those past their sell by dates )
  • He upholds family values
  • He has a work ethic
  • He is sensible , measured and controlled in his response during the debates
  • He has some good ideas
  • He has put all his resources into his campaign
  • He deserves a fair go , which the media has gone out of its way to prevent 
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The Conservatives suffer from the "shallow gene pool" problem common to all very small parties. So people voting for them do need to be honest that they will be bringing into parliament people who assert things that are opposite to facts, such as claiming that youth suicide has been increasing since the "smacking" ban when in fact it has been decreasing.

http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/10443905/Smacking-bans-suicide…

I do not want such reality challenged folk deciding Health policy (or Science, or actually pretty much anything), but if Conservative voters want to bring them in that is their democratic right. I would just like such voters to be honest about who they are bringing into parliament.

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Colin has certainly won my vote.

I don't think your comment is quite fair. Even if that party member is doing what you claim, it is no where near as bad as what the greens have done in the past.

To illustrate my point here is a link to a time when the Greens tried to ban water:
http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0110/S00440.htm
 

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.... our water now contains di-hydrogen oxide ??????

 

Bloody dairy farmers !

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yes, sad but true.  even the dehydrated stuff.
It's nasty stuff, causes dies to run, can crack stones, gets into houses and destroys them.  Even in small doses it can be lethal.  And can even cause clothing to shrink and dyes to run.

Worst of all some nutters even put it in the whisky!

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Aprils Fool day....sure brings out the gullible, lazy and emotionally incompetents......

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dihydrogen_monoxide_hoax

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sadr001- You are quoting a National Party Press release- It wasn't an MP that said that. It was an MP staffer. The original correspondence is here 

http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0110/S00444.htm

The only MP I know to have fallen for the hoax themselves was a National Party one

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10463579

But, as it happens, I'm no fan of Sue Kedgley, but as she is not actually a Green MP, nor running to be so, that kind of misses the point I was making about the quality of the candidates that you are actually voting into parliament this election. As there are about 4.5 million people not running for parliament this election I would rather focus on those actually running to get elected.

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I think sadr101 provides a good example of the types of people who will support the Conservatives.  

 

Your point about some religious people being unable to see the facts of things is also a concern.  Some really think the world is 6,000 - 10,000 years old.  Heck some don't even believe in man made climate change!  I know a couple who run a succesful business and are not stupid people  but due to their religion, believe the above.  As well as the evil that is the anti child abuse legislation. (spare the rod spoil the child and all that)

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I am admittedly new to the investment and political scene. I joined this site in the hope of learning more about both.

I was unaware that the conservatives are a religious political party, I was under the impression that Colin Craig was himself a christian but that the conservatives weren't religious much like David Cunliff and the labour party. If you could please provide some references to the religious nature of the Conservative party I'd very much appreciate it and will definately take it into consideration.

I'd like to think that I'm a young working professional who takes the effort to consider the cases for and against each party objectively, if people like me gnerally vote conservative there must be a reason for it? If you could please speculate as to why that is or what type of person you believe me to be that would also be much appreciated.

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Ditto. My worse fear would be that he starts to try and introduce religion into areas like those you mentioned above (science / health etc.). Rational people are needed in these areas.

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I agree.

John Key has turned into a politician.  He used to be a regular bloke, new to it and apart from it a bit.

But now he answers questions very carefully and shifts the answer - so that he's actually answering a different question.  So this is disappointing but a job related hazard I guess.

I quite like what Colin Craig has to say, so will vote for him.

 

 

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The CP is trying to go back in time. This won't work - any political party that has tried to turn back the clock on social justice isues has found itself on the wrong side of history....

.

The CP are dinosaurs.

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... I'm starting to like Colin Craig too ...

 

I showed a campaign picture of him to my 9 y.o. daughter , and said that if she didn't get to bed by 8 p.m. each night she'd get weird googly-staring eyes 'like his ...

 

... worked a treat ..... ZZZZZZZZZZZZzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz !

 

Thankyou , Colin !

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You foregut his best attribute boatman

Colin Craig is naive enough to be manipulated as a tool for the national party. 

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that's not nearly up to your normal stirring efforts...

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And he has shown himself to be a fighter , challenging the status quo , and even going to court to ensure he is heard

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Very clever by National, there are a lot of blue-green and swing voters that will be influenced by their fencing farms and marine reserve policies. 

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Yes very cynical.  I cast my vote purely on environmental issues and find this type of cynical politics the absolute worst.  I would rather the National government kept to their deep sea drilling and pro fracking stance rather than try and con Joe average who dosn't really follow politics that closely but has a vague idea that looking after the environment is a good thing into voting for them as they think "oh good National care about the environment".  

 

I honestly find this way worse than the behaviour of Judith Collins.

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I'll agree with you there.    Things like "promise to review policy and strategy" about a topical item, just cons for votes.  Has Nat done ?anything? positive for environment, actually positive progressive anything to improve things?

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Until the Greens take the dominant position in the centre left of NZ politics there will be no meaningful changes toward sustainability and environmental protection.  National and Labour both follow debt/growth based policies so are as bad as each other.  Two things need to happen, 1 the swift demise of the antiquated Labour party, 2 the further rise of the Greens on the left forcing National into more pro-environment policies to hold the blue/green voters. 

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Colin Craig is a creationist. enough said.

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So what if Colin Craig is a creationist?

The entire Islamic world is creationist , and they make up nearly a third of the worlds population

At least he is not an extemist

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It shows Craig fails to understand science / geology and this suggests that he lacks the skills to rationally assess evidence. Given the access to education we have, plus all the information available today, believing the Earth is 2000-10,000 years old it's akin to clinging to the belief that the Earth is flat or believing the sun rotates around the Earth (which is the centre of the whole universe of course!).

 

Personally I don't want someone who doesn't understand physical reality making decisions that could affect myself or my loved ones. In a perfect world politicians would have to have some grasp on science so that we could actually move past retarded narratives like infinite 'growth' and actually aim for a sustainable society.

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ACT fears 'Frankenstein'. Would 'Frankenstein' be a party that died a natural death was then reanimated through dark arts to act as a servant? I can see how the metaphor would spring to mind for ACT.

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Colin Craig admitted to managing property for overseas investors (and making money from it) while trying to make out he is against foreign land ownership

Christine Rankin while head of WINZ spent $167,000 of taxpayers money on charter flights for a staff retreat.

Colin doesn’t know if man walked on the moon.

Colin is unsure about the Chemtrails conspiracy.

Candidate Garth McVicar says crime will rise if gay couples are allowed to marry

Tried to claim that Garth McVicar was NZ’s most trusted person, then had to backtrack and admit he was #62 (from a predetermined list of 100) but Winston Peters was also in the top 100.

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