Dr Don Brash has this afternoon confirmed former Federated Farmers president Don Nicholson as a candidate for Act at the November election.
But suddenly, there's a real sameness about the suite of Act candidates announced to date. You've got Don, John, John and Don (Brash, Boscawen, Banks and Nicholson, in that order). There's not a lot of diversity there, it has to be said.
So come on Don (Brash); have another press conference tomorrow, and confirm that Cathy Odgers aka Cactus Kate is going to be at #3 on the Act Party List. The current line-up looks like a Cabinet from the Holyoake years, which we're long enough in the tooth to remember. Two Dons and two Johns is not the prescription that Act needs.
20 comments:
I am not so sure you are right with the comment that this is not what ACT supporters want to see. Certainly the sooner Cactus is confirmed and I actually thought she was, the better.
However the weakest link of your four listed is Banks and I think HP, who has her finger firmly on the rural pulse, will confirm that Don Nicholson did a very good job with Federated Farmers. I would consider him an asset to ACT as normally his natural home would be with National but obviously they have moved too far to the left for him.
No doubt GD can add to my thoughts on Nicholson as well.
My comment has less to do with abilities of the respective candidates (apart from Banks) than about the image of the line-up; middle-aged (and a bit more, in Brash's case) white men.
I am sure Nicholson will be good value, but they need a sprinkling of quality candidates that appeal to other demographics than their own. Cathy Odgers would certainly fit that criteria.
"But suddenly, there's a real sameness about the suite of Act candidates announced to date."
Suddenly??
Don Nicholson will be taking votes from Bill English in Clutha/Southland. Interesting...
Fair comment Inv - the real good thing is that none of them are watermelons.
I think I commented somewhere a while ago that it would be good if ACT could get Christine Rankin and a couple of other ladies like her to front up as well.
"the image of the line-up; middle-aged (and a bit more, in Brash's case) white men."
Well I'm sure that there are more than five % of these types in the population. After all the Maori party doesn't claim to represent more than their targeted voters.
I thought that that was what MMP was about - smaller parties representing smaller interest groups.
I'm from a long line of Southland landed gentry farmers. My homestead is the envy of many. I have not and never will be represented by the views of that grandstanding buffoon Nicholson. Pheasants to him! He is a luddite and a scallywag. That Calvert sheila is more my thing what!
Christine Rankin! hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahah
She is truly an awful person of the ilk of Lhaws.
She'd call a spastic a spastic, I'd give her that.
Pleeeeeeese ACT get her on board.
Good evening Robert!
...middle-aged white men named John... I resemble that remark! Now I'll have a think about whether to be offended. Or to stand for ACT (at least I live in the electorate). Or to have a lie down. KiwiGirl makes a very good point about constituency, but I do think ACT could try harder to broaden its base.
Rankine is far to much of a wimp for ACT.
Like Ansell says: ACT needs headkickers
* Bruce Emery.
* Keith Abbott.
* RedBaiter.
Redbaiter? Please, no!
Inv2 - I said I wouldn't use that term again and that I post under my own name (it's no secret).
I do however, hope and pray that Christine (do my boobs offend you?) Rankin signs up with the rest of the wacky-acty's. She'd fit right in there and could prop up Brash whenever he lists.
Btw - I'm knitting a set of lammington-hats for the crew to wear on polling night - gotta look their best!
Cactus Kate refers to Don Nicholson's previous role as 'President of Federated F*****s'.
Wonder if she'll now say he's an A** Party candidate.
*s
You can see why FF have a new team on the FF Board- perhaps this move was predicated. Plays into Labour's hand- dreadful farmers must tax them more. Interested in HP's commentS
Well spotted, IV2.
What more important is the fact his surname did not begin with 'B.'
It gets worse Adolf. Run Cactus' initial and surname togetherm, and you describe Don, John, John and Don; Codgers!
@ Rob (5.33pm); apologies; the writing style seemed vaguely familiar
Robert has the courage to post under his name INV2. You do not. Let he who is without sin cast the first stone.
Tell southland saviour Don Nicholson that Jesus was a carpenter and fisher of men, not a wooden farmer. And Christ-ine Rankin, despite having the female version of Jesus' name, comes across more like Mary Magdalene (the early years). She and Brash should shake their moneymakers in the face of gale force laughter here at laughing stock.blogspot John Key is growing on me. He is becoming more cullen-like in the house and in his self-assuredness. Just needs to tweak his policy is all... Perhaps Christine would like to tweak his policy for him?
Oh do bugger off "Alex" we don't care about anonymity round here, we care about a consistent and recognisable name tag to each commenting voice.
funny how the feds were national according to goff. another fail
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