By Patrick Gower
John Key was in New Plymouth today – the most marginal electorate in the country and one that National holds by just 105 votes.
So National has done a deal whereby ACT doesn’t stand a candidate and ACT gets a deal in Epsom. But, it produced an awkward moment for Mr Key this afternoon.
ACT Party Electorate Chairman Morris Hey is upset about the deal, cracked between Mr Key and ACT leader Don Brash, where ACT don’t stand in New Plymouth in exchange for a clear run in Epsom.
Told he needs to “take that up with ACT”, Mr Hey told Mr Key: “No, I think it is your issue too”.
“We’ve kept our side of the bargain, now I’m asking you to follow yours.”
Unsurprisingly, Mr Key did not want to chat.
“We’ve been shot in the leg here,” Mr Hey says. “We can’t campaign. I’ve got nobody good to vote for. I’m not voting National.”
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National’s Jonathan Young holds New Plymouth by just 105 votes and not having ACT on the ballot paper could make all the difference, with Labour’s Andrew Little chasing hard.
Here’s how the four for one deal is supposed to work:
In return for Natioanl giving John Banks an easy ride in Epsom, ACT isn’t fielding candidates in four marginal seats:
· New Plymouth
· Waimakariri
· Waitakere
· Maungakiekie
"Politics is a dirty business,” says Mr Hey.
Epson is ACT’s back door to Parliament, but the problem is Mr Banks is trailing – even though National isn’t trying.
ACT’s desperation for the deal in Epsom to go through stretches right through to New Plymouth and even beyond. But they still haven’t got what they need – and the message from Mr Banks and Mr Brash to Mr Key can be summed up in three words;
“Ring us, please”.
3 News
source: newshub archive
