Ohariu: a unique say in the composition of the next government
9 May 2011

Late last week Don Brash successfully completed his hostile takeover of ACT, and I said at the time that his victory may well delight one in twenty voters, but it would ring alarm bells for the other nineteen.

 I stand by that.

 A Don Brash-led ACT in a position to push National to the far right after the next election will concern the vast majority of New Zealanders who are not of a far right disposition.

 Behind Brash’s gentlemanly ways and old school manners is a rigid far right ideologue whose right wing economic ‘purity’ means he will not hesitate to ‘burn the village to save it’.

 Make no mistake, if Don Brash has influence over the next government just watch the New Zealand that we know become a harsher, more brutal place.

 In saying all this, Ohariu voters are actually going to have a unique say in the composition of the next government in a way that few other electorates do.

 I work hard for this electorate and all the people in it, and I stand by my record of achievement for Ohariu. But I also lead the UnitedFuture Party, and if the ACT threat is to be countered, then it is the centrist UnitedFuture that can do it.

 Quite apart from the electorate vote for an MP, people will need to consider in the next few months just what party they want supporting National (and yes, it will be National leading the next government – Labour is in total meltdown).

 New Zealanders generally, and the people of Ohariu, will need to decide if they want ACT driving National to the right, or UnitedFuture keeping National anchored firmly in the centre.

 As I say, nineteen out of twenty New Zealanders will most assuredly be horrified by an ACT-driven government.

 People have a lot of thinking to do before now and the November election. The very type and shape of the government we have will depend on it.