Gosche leaves Maungakiekie
Mark Gosche has announced he will not restand in Maungakiekie. At this stage he says he will seek to go List only – but do not be surprised if, like Tim Barnett, he does not stand at all eventually.
National would have struggled to win Maungakiekie off Gosche. However with his retirement, it should now be regarded as a winnable seat.
Most focus has been on the party vote polling, and what that means for overall seats in Parliament. But people should consider what a 20% gap may mean in terms of electorates held, if the electorate vote follows similiar trends. Labour currently has 31 electorate seats (including Mangere) and could be reduced to low 20s.
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Tags: Labour, Mark Gosche, Maungakiekie
February 25th, 2008 at 10:11 am
After the torrid few months he has had in his home life, I can imagine his reasons for retirement to be more than honourable. I wish him well, as he has always struck me as a man with integrity.
February 25th, 2008 at 10:18 am
THis was an electorate national proposed to gerrymander so that the Town of Otahuhu was split in two, and the labour stronghold residential area was hived off into the adjacent Labour seat while keeping the commercial area in Maungakiekie
February 25th, 2008 at 10:39 am
It always saddens me to watch some lefty politician retire – not because I’m sad to see them go, but because other right thinking people suddenly decide that these despicable socialists need to be praised as they go into the sunset. Mark Gosche was not a man of integrity. He was elected by stealing public money. The only men of integrity in Parliament are in the National and ACT parties.
February 25th, 2008 at 10:41 am
Like wise, ROWIWOR. He has always seemed to be a principled politician (yes I know, most people consider the two words mutually exclusive) The house seems to have had a fair bit of personal tragedy and issues over the last few years and Mr Goshe’s is no less hard. An able bloke, Labour would be sad to miss him.
February 25th, 2008 at 10:45 am
what a load of clap trap. There has been no more personal tragedy in the house than goes on in the real world! I agree with pushmepullu, “right thinking people suddenly decide that these despicable socialists need to be praised as they go into the sunset.”
February 25th, 2008 at 10:56 am
Ghost, that’s a load of horseshit. National only has one representative on the committee. It’s impossible to gerrymander seats in this country to suit one of the major parties. It’s geography, convenience and luck of the draw.
Agree with DPF that Gosche would have been hard to beat in this seat, but losing Otahuhu and gaining Three Kings, Royal Oak and South Epsom gives National a good chance of taking it.
February 25th, 2008 at 10:56 am
I think this is one of Labour’s constituencies that will go to National.
Taupo is another one.
Wellington Central – no, even though the likely National candidate is the most cost effective politician in N.Z. There are too many parasitic public servants there that will never ever hurt the swill pourer who refills their trough with taxpayer dollars.
February 25th, 2008 at 10:58 am
I think this is one of Labour’s constituencies that will go to National. Maungakiekie, that is.
Taupo is another one.
Wellington Central – no, even though the likely National candidate is the most cost effective politician in N.Z. There are too many parasitic public servants there that will never ever hurt the swill pourer who refills their trough with taxpayer dollars.
February 25th, 2008 at 12:13 pm
Alas one of the very few decent people in the Labour caucus and it looks like he’s going!
It’s not only the rats leaving the ship now!
February 25th, 2008 at 12:21 pm
what a load of clap trap. There has been no more personal tragedy in the house than goes on in the real world! I agree with pushmepullu, “right thinking people suddenly decide that these despicable socialists need to be praised as they go into the sunset.”
What a shame that Kiwiblog’s attractive new facelift has done nothing for the basic humanity of some of the people who post here.
February 25th, 2008 at 12:54 pm
Rusell
If you thought a software upgrade was going to influence the personality and views of people who use a website, you are even more of a techno-optimist than I imagined.
Yes, many people in the blogosphere are both mean-spirited and rude. Far more so than they are in everyday life.
No, there isn’t much anyone can do about it without getting into heavy moderation. Sad but true.
That is simply part of the price paid for accepting freedom of expression.
February 25th, 2008 at 1:09 pm
Ah Russell, you could have just ignored it like the rest of us, but no – the old lefty kick in the cobblers about those nasty people who dare to post on a right-leaning blog. I don’t notice you getting up in arms about those who call people ‘pig fuckers’. Hypocrite.