Lee selected for National
May 4th, 2009 at 9:27 pm by David FarrarNational’s selection panel of 60 members has selected Melissa Lee for the by-election. Congrats to Melissa.
The result is not a big surprise considering Melissa was ranked a very high 37 on the 2008 list, and Ravi was ranked No 65.
Tomorrow I’ll take a look at how the numbers for Mt Albert stack up.
UPDATE: For those who are stupid enough to believe the media story that a National Party conference had already listed Melissa as the candidate, Homepaddock has the actual facts:
But it’s the paper that’s got it wrong. I’ve got a copy of the official programme and it says:
Address by Mt Albert’s List MP Melissa Lee.
There is a big difference between being a candidate for an electorate and a List MP for an area.
Related posts:
- National’s Mt Albert selection tonight
- Lee for Mt Albert?
- iPredict on Mt Albert
- The race for Mt Albert
May 4th, 2009 at 9:34 pm
No, it wasn’t much of a surprise given that Labour announced Lee’s candidacy this afternoon.
[DPF: Darren needs to know the difference between being described as a List MP for an area and a candidate]
Vote:May 4th, 2009 at 9:39 pm
Other parties often accuse National of lacking diversity but its the only one which hasn’t selected a middle-aged, bloke of Euorpean descent.
Vote:May 4th, 2009 at 9:48 pm
Dave – no they didn’t read the papers properly the Mainland conference agenda they’re quoting refers to Melissa as the list MP for Mount Albert, not the candidate: http://homepaddock.wordpress.com/2009/05/04/the-scoop-that-wasnt/
Vote:May 4th, 2009 at 10:05 pm
Interesting. I’m absolutely stunned that the Greens appear to be fighting Labour hard out. It’s amazing to see the Greens stand up and say that being a poodle for Labour is not enough for them.
This is going to be an interesting bi-election.
Vote:May 4th, 2009 at 10:49 pm
Good comment burt. Too bad the Greens didn’t do it in the general election.
Vote:May 4th, 2009 at 10:56 pm
Kor- rea!! John has everybody in his pocket… Act , Moari , Greens and now the Asian vote.. can this man do no wrong.. It was only a few moons ago .. when the Nats had obsoletely no understanding of MMP..
Vote:May 4th, 2009 at 11:01 pm
Hughes and Goff represent a party where head office had 3/7 of the votes in their candidate selection, and consequently where the candidate selected was a guy who used to work for Goff and was hand picked by him. Yet rather than sort out their own centralised processes in order to make them more democratic, they try to spread FUD about National’s which appear to be an order of magnitude more transparent and more localised than Labours.
I think they’re getting desperate. They’ve had to stand Twyford down because their own polling showed that just the threat of a S92-supporting Judith Tizard re-entering parliament would cost them votes. They had a 23 year old contender with no achievements at all on her CV, but who was the local favourite because her mum was the electorate chairperson. They had a contender who was happy to argue the benefits of female genital mutilation. They selected a guy with a secret privatisation agenda, after Labour made secret privatisation agendas the center of their campaign just six months ago. There are unresolved questions about the writing of one privatised military paper while their candidate was working for Goff, and the extent of Goff’s support for the paper at the time. And, to top it all, the Greens are doing their best to rain on Phil’s parade.
Mt Albert should be Labour’s safest seat. Instead, because of Labour’s hapless campaigning and their hopeless efforts in opposition, they face losing the seat. In which case everything that Goff has worked towards since 1981 will be snuffed out on one day in June. Look for more desperation which will lead to more lies, more misdirection, and more class A craziness.
Vote:May 4th, 2009 at 11:05 pm
All this heat and light signifying nothing… how about this, the candidate that wins, they’re the right one yeah and the folk that choose ‘em, they’re the ones that know what’s going on on the ground and you, davidp, your prognostications are hardly setting the world on fire.
Vote:May 4th, 2009 at 11:10 pm
burt
The greens have decided to be National’s poodles.
Melissa Lee won, what a surprise!! The funny thing is that Ravi Musuku did a good job last time. Despite Mt Albert having the best political machine in the country Labour had a significant swing against it.
I am sure that Musuku will be disappointed and local Indians will realise that their dalliance with National was a mistake.
[DPF: The local Indians are pretty happy that National has an Indian MP in Parliament. And if you want to be taken seriously why not measure the change in votes in Mt Albert to the overall national average change. National from 2002 to 2008 increased its vote by around 125%]
Vote:May 4th, 2009 at 11:30 pm
“I am sure that Musuku will be disappointed and local Indians will realise that their dalliance with National was a mistake”
So……… That means that they will vote for a middle aged white man instead??????? Do you honestly think all voters are morons you freak!
Labour’s swing against it at the last election was more related to the John Key factor. The fact that Ravi’s personal vote was profoundly less than the vote his party commanded reflects that he is only an average electorate MP candidate in the eyes of National party supporters. It is not a hard decision to replace him with another candidate that may have greater Kudos with the voters. Whether Melissa Lee is the better candidate remains to be seen, but she does command a higher profile.
Little is said of this, but in the days of FPP National probably benefited from different left wing parties cannabilising each other’s vote. Now we have strong Green and Labour candidates the concern for both of them is that they will split the left vote, allowing the National candidate to win with less than 40% of the vote. A lot is made of Labour receiving 2000 more votes than National in the Party vote last election. If that Labour support was split between Labour and the Greens, then National may never need to increase its vote to win. They just need a reasonable candidate to hold it at its existing level.
Vote:May 4th, 2009 at 11:38 pm
mickysavage
So you are saying the Green’s are nothing but bitches?
Vote:May 4th, 2009 at 11:40 pm
Grizz
It’s glorious isn’t it. THe Labour vs Green bitch fight over who gets to make the other one bend over results in defeat for both. Bwaaa haaaa haaa.
Vote:May 4th, 2009 at 11:51 pm
Labour don’t like it up ‘em.
Break out the soothing balm!
Vote:May 5th, 2009 at 4:38 am
Spurning the Greens in 2005 has left lasting damage and the Greens are making their point in the Mt Albert by-election which is Helen Clark’s old seat. And they are re-emphasising that the sort of co-operation agreement Labour offered them can just as easily be done with National. And if that is all they can get from Labour then they will go hard out to defeat them politically.
Vote:May 5th, 2009 at 6:32 am
Well spoken davidp – it’s such an outstanding analysis that I have lifted it lock, stock and barrel and reproduced it in a thread on Keeping Stock
http://keepingstock.blogspot.com/2009/05/labours-mt-albert-disaster.html
Vote:May 5th, 2009 at 7:33 am
Homepaddock has the actual facts:
But it’s the paper that’s got it wrong. I’ve got a copy of the official programme and it says:
Address by Mt Albert’s List MP Melissa Lee.
There is a big difference between being a candidate for an electorate and a List MP for an area.
List MP for Mt Albert? MMP gets stranger and more interesting every day.
Vote:May 5th, 2009 at 7:51 am
Tracey Watkins wrote article in Dom Post on Melissa Lee’s selection (can’t find it on Stuff) saying:
“The by-election will make no difference of Parliament; three of the five candidates are sitting MP’s, whose seats will be taken by the next person on their party list, if they win.”
It may not make a difference to present coalition arrangements, but it will make a helluva difference if Labour does not win – it will have one less in the house. If Melissa wins, it will be an out of the world morale boost for National and a crushing blow for Phil Goff and Labour.
Vote:May 5th, 2009 at 8:11 am
Just heard her on National’s programme. Bet some of the delegates will want to select again if they heard it.
Vote:May 5th, 2009 at 8:16 am
Couldn’t have sounded any worse than your lispy bullying.
Vote:Welcome back Mallard….by the way.
May 5th, 2009 at 8:18 am
Also interesting to note how the gap between the Lee Nat and Lee Lab votes on I predict have opened up over the last two days. While the noise on the blogs might be heading Lee’s way the smart money is going to Shearer.
And lofty at least I try and answer questions. She didn’t. Read from notes unrelated to interviewers questions. transparent.
Vote:May 5th, 2009 at 8:20 am
Really Trev?
The voters of Mt Albert have not worried what their MP sounds like for the past fifteen years so I fail to see why they would start being concerned about it now.
Vote:May 5th, 2009 at 8:21 am
Given that Shearer is going to be your boss within two years Trev have you had another think about privatisation?
Vote:May 5th, 2009 at 8:22 am
“Bet some of the delegates will want to select again if they heard it.”
Is that the sum total of your ability to articulate an opinion?
No wonder your career died.
Vote:May 5th, 2009 at 8:28 am
Do you really trev?
Then put your money where your mouth is and answer my question to you over the last month or so, and explain your outrageous statement that people should not seek work with a -20 employer because they will be flicked after 90 days.
Still waiting..
Sorry DPF OTT I know but….
Vote:May 5th, 2009 at 8:32 am
A bit like the smart money that stayed in residential real estate.
Vote:May 5th, 2009 at 8:43 am
Hey Trev
Vote:Used any moteliers for a TV stunt lately?
May 5th, 2009 at 8:44 am
List MP for Mt Albert? MMP gets stranger and more interesting every day.
Would it freak you out if I told you Phil Twyford has been Labour’s “list MP for Auckland Central” since the beginning of the year?
But Trev’s right. On the evidence of this morning’s gabbling, Ms Lee has a strong chance of being the most annoying candidate in the race.
OTOH, you had to admire the frankness of her rejoicing at the Greens’ presence.
Vote:May 5th, 2009 at 8:49 am
Oh don’t the voters of Mt Albert have a cornucopia of real candidates looking to serve them in parliament. Or in the main, a bunch of pinko free loading fuckwits after a free lunch and superannuation teat to suck on.
‘Gabbling’ – is that a ‘far left’ term relating to asians?
Vote:May 5th, 2009 at 9:06 am
But Trev’s right. On the evidence of this morning’s gabbling, Ms Lee has a strong chance of being the most annoying candidate in the race.
She was probably just nervous. Plunket seemed to think she was a bit of a joke.
Vote:May 5th, 2009 at 9:10 am
Radio Pravda, speaking of jokes.
Vote:May 5th, 2009 at 9:11 am
RGW, gabbling is one of the great english words, say’s it all really…by the way how are you today old son??
Shit it was cold this morning eh? I like reading this blog, and I dont like trev when he wont front up with an explanation for his outrageous statements. Ah well back to the grindstone, as you do eh RGW.
Now thats a short example of gabbling.
Vote:May 5th, 2009 at 9:14 am
Oh, I must have mistaken ‘gabbling’ for a snide race based aside from Russell instead of the more common garden variety usage where one just talks a bit of bollocks.
Not bad, not bad, been a bit chilly here today as well, mind it was warmish sat and sun so cant complain.
Vote:May 5th, 2009 at 9:17 am
Trev
Lets make the bi-election about trust then eh. Who knows, perhaps if National are looking like they might win Shearer might just punch Lee out – people love that stuff eh Trev, especially when there are no consequences.
Vote:May 5th, 2009 at 9:19 am
Ah RGW, I certainly did not mean to teach you how to suck eggs.
Vote:I figured what you meant, and I concur that russell is just showing us what a twat he is, but trying to be subtle about it.
I just wanted a vehicle to slip in my “trev” comment
Still waiting by the way trev.
May 5th, 2009 at 9:21 am
Good on you burt, into him….
Vote:We might get growled at by DPF for going off topic, but how can we help ourselves.
Keep your head up above the parapet trev, it’s like a fairground shooting gallery, great fun.
May 5th, 2009 at 9:25 am
Trevor Mallard
WTF are you talking about? You and Labour have made an art form out of not answering questions. Far out, has Cullen been teaching you how to re-write history?
Vote:May 5th, 2009 at 9:26 am
Yeah, I thought so lofty but savoured the opportunity to discuss the gabbling jibe again.
Gabbling, as in droning on endlessly about spunking up a Billion for a waterfront stadium knowing full well there was no way in hell a waterfront stadium could be agreed, planned, consented and built before the RWC?
Does that count as gabbling, or is it a totally different term when its leading up to a general election? I don’t know, like lying your arse off?
Vote:May 5th, 2009 at 9:31 am
Although I hear Melissa sounded shrill and annoying, whereas the previous MP for Mt Albert was just annoying on the odd ocassion she showed up for a photo op in the electorate she didnt live in.
Please, stop me me if I start gabbling.
Vote:May 5th, 2009 at 9:31 am
Russell – the National Party allocates its list MP’s or neighbouring electorate MP’s to be ‘shadow’ MP’s for the electorates it does not hold and that is the role Melissa has for Mt Albert. These MP’s do not get any specific parliamentary funding to set up an office to service such electorates.
Labour probably has a similar arrangement.
Vote:May 5th, 2009 at 9:34 am
“Gabbling, as in droning on endlessly about spunking up a Billion for a waterfront stadium knowing full well there was no way in hell a waterfront stadium could be agreed, planned, consented and built before the RWC?
Does that count as gabbling, or is it a totally different term when its leading up to a general election? I don’t know, like lying your arse off?”
Come in russell, can you explain this to RGW, by confirming that this is exactly what gabbling is?
Vote:May 5th, 2009 at 9:38 am
Trev says “And lofty at least I try and answer questions”.
Now thats gabbling!!
Vote:May 5th, 2009 at 9:41 am
Right, my beard needs a bit of stroking (wohooo!) and I need to catch up on some global warming data such as there now being no correlation between ice ages (major and minor) in the northern and southern hemisphere which no doubt really really roots a few global warming models.
Vote:May 5th, 2009 at 9:44 am
Hey trev, I would accept a gabbled reply, shit anything is better than nothing.
Vote:Oh crap, thats what you do anyway.
May 5th, 2009 at 9:51 am
gabbled or garbled?
Oh shit, I’m confused now. Does garbled mean speaking in tongues?
Vote:May 5th, 2009 at 10:19 am
Oh I dunno RGW, ask trev he seems to speak with his tongue.
Vote:May 5th, 2009 at 10:43 am
Where can I find a list of the “unelected list MP for my electorate”?
Vote:May 6th, 2009 at 5:40 am
lofty – quote of the day.
Vote: