September 22, 2014
Vote for stability, not policy
Returning New Zealand First MP Ron Mark says National’s resounding election victory can’t be seen as a mandate for John Key’s third term Government to do what it wants.
The Carterton mayor, who got back as number 9 on the party list while also picking up 8006 electorate votes in Wairarapa, says the focus on Kim Dotcom diverted attention from policies.
He says the unsavoury antics in the National Party exposed in Nicky Hager’s Dirty Politics book didn’t undermine National’s support, because people were terrified of the alternative configurations put to them.
"It’s been very clear over the last few years that a lot of the people who voted for National and John Key did not vote for asset sales, they do not vote for immigration policies that bring people into the country like Mr Dotcom, they did not vote for sales of large blocks of land to foreigners and they did not vote for stupid foreign investment policies," Mr Mark says.
He says the return of three Maori seats to Labour is a blow for the Maori Party, and shows the damaged caused by Pita Sharples fighting to hang on to the leadership rather than stepping aside gracefully and giving Te Ururoa Flavell more time to rebuild confidence among supporters.
FOR THE FULL INTERVIEW WITH RON MARK CLICK ON THE LINK
https://secure.zeald.com/uma/play_podcast?podlink=MjIzMjg=
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