Decisions, decisions

Tuesday, August 23, 2005

Decisions, decisions

Don't you just know the TV networks will call their election night coverage something like "Decision '05" or "NZ votes: 2005"? Why not something creative, like "NZ picks the least incompetent" or "NZ chooses the bloke whose name they vaguely know", or combine it with the Lotto results so we can at least have a real stake in the outcome?

Well, with today being Nomination Day (The day when final nominations for electorate and list MPs must be received by Chief Electoral Officer or returning officers) we'll bow to audience demand and run a national political poll.

Amid much grumbling in the LawsWatch secret cave about off-topic posting, we were reminded that it would produce an interesting piece of data after the election proper - to what extent do Laws Watchers mirror the wider Wanganui population, at least in political affiliation?

So, first up, who will you be giving your candidate vote to?

Free polls from Pollhost.com

Then you'll need to come back here (there'll be a button marked "back" once you've voted and the results are displayed) and tell us to whom you'll be giving your party vote?

Note: We're limited to 20 options in any one poll, so are unable to include every single party registered with the Electoral Commission. We don't want a tantrum from Jim Anderton and Peter Dunne though, so we've been sure to include them. Links are to those official websites of which we're aware - if any need to be added please leave in comments.

Update: A punter writes to advise that you can, of course, have a Prime Ministerial flutter via Centrebet. Elections must be the only events on which the participants themselves can legally bet. We wonder if Winston has taken up the odds of 501 on him ever becoming PM.

Comments on this post are now closed. The poll remains open.

59 comments:

Anonymous said...: How sad for Bob Moodie. Gets dicked by Laws at the Code hearing, loses his case completely, gets sent to the clappers for misrepresenting the Berryman case and now a United Future candidate for Rangitikei.
Good call Matt & Carol. You were represented by a w-i-n-n-e-r!; 6:01 pm, August 23, 2005
Anonymous said...: The guy who was raised as a state ward, left school barely able to read and write, yet became a cop then spent 10 years at university to do a doctorate and a first-class honours degree as a lawyer and recently won Alec Waugh $1,000,000?

As opposed to someone who gets a vicarious thrill posting anonymous smears, l-o-s-e-r?; 6:26 pm, August 23, 2005
Anonymous said...: Good to have you back M-i-c-h-a-e-l. So how did the s-e-c-r-e-t ballot go for the C-E-O.

Hope none of the little diVisioners took advantage and crapped on your choice.; 6:50 pm, August 23, 2005
Anonymous said...: The only ones who got "dicked" by Laws in the Code of Conduct hearing were Dottie and the Dwarfs. They have to live in this town.; 7:19 pm, August 23, 2005
Anonymous said...: Heigh-ho, Heigh-ho
It's off to lie we go
With a lie lie lie
and a heigh-ho heigh
It's the Diva who makes us so

We lie lie lie lie lie lie lie from early morn till night
We stuff stuff stuff stuff stuff stuff stuff up everything in sight
We spin up stories by the score
A thousand porkies, sometimes more
But we don't admit it's the Diva we spin 'em for
We lie lie lie a-lie lie

Heigh heigh (sorry, Michael I've forgotten the words - luv Nicki); 7:27 pm, August 23, 2005
Anonymous said...: The Code of Conduct farce left Capt Dottie and Dwarfs with as much respect in Wanganui as the pitiful Lions after the Third Test against the ABs - the Diva might have gone free but they and their supporters were the ones who ended up in the sin bin.; 7:53 pm, August 23, 2005
Anonymous said...: Laws 6.
Losers Nil.; 8:08 pm, August 23, 2005
Anonymous said...: How can you tell? By-election. We'll see who wins or loses that.

Wanganui, I hope.; 8:28 pm, August 23, 2005
Anonymous said...: Put up Rob Vinsen. He's on a streak.; 8:29 pm, August 23, 2005
Anonymous said...: The code just showed the council up to be completely under ML's iron fist. That's OK as it showed the rest of the city what a weird person he is.It would seem the Vision team now have him under control.; 8:30 pm, August 23, 2005
Anonymous said...: No, the Code made Laws the champion of all those who get sick of having their rate money wasted on so-called 'art'.; 8:33 pm, August 23, 2005
Anonymous said...: Sorry, but if you knew anything about the CoC it had little to do with the art issue. More about how Laws had handled himself in the media. Anyway, that's the way I read it.; 8:51 pm, August 23, 2005
Anonymous said...: The way I read it he routed the single issue nutters. Whatever you views on this issue - the mainstream media partic 'Sunday' and 'Holmes' (even TV1 News in the end) did the complainants - no matter how justified - no favours. Laws played the media for all they were worth altho' how much due to him or his press secetary, I don't know.; 9:13 pm, August 23, 2005
Anonymous said...: Funny, but heaps of people (especially from out of Wanganui) said Sunday just showed him to be a barefaced liar.; 9:17 pm, August 23, 2005
Anonymous said...: Mediaholism is Michael's bag. He has to carry it. Why expect the complainants to?; 9:17 pm, August 23, 2005
Anonymous said...: "rate money wasted on so-called 'art'."

When? How? Proof please.

You're mistaken.; 9:31 pm, August 23, 2005
Anonymous said...: Interesting start to this thread. Bob is in real trouble with the Law Society and runs the risk of being struck off or heavily fined over the contempt issues in the Berryman case. I watched his performance at both the War Memorial and then later the council chambers and there was quite a change. He seemed very distracted at the councl chambers and I think ne needs our support. I've no idea what motivates him to run for United Future. Very strange choice.; 9:31 pm, August 23, 2005
Matt Dutton said...: I'm as surprised as anyone at Bob Moodie standing up for UF. Then again, it'd be nice to have a "centre" party that had policy beyond harrassing immigrants.; 9:36 pm, August 23, 2005
Matt Dutton said...: *lurk*; 9:37 pm, August 23, 2005
Anonymous said...: Centre party, Matt? It's a bunch of fundamentalist Xtians tied together by Peter Dunne and his worm. But even putting that to one side, Moodie is not on their list & has no chance of winning his seat (esp announcing his candidacy 4 weeks before).
I know this is heresy but is Bob just getting a little ... old?; 9:38 pm, August 23, 2005
Anonymous said...: what's 'lurk'?; 9:38 pm, August 23, 2005
Laws Watch said...: We've removed the comments people complained of earlier. To the anon who posted them: we've said on several occasions now that comments on people's personal lives are inappropriate. It's doubly inappropriate when it involves families, even though your comment was aimed at a public figure.

And to the "other side" of this debate: we're removing your inappropriate comments too, about other people. It does nothing to further anyone's understanding of any of the issues LawsWatch was established to discuss. Grow up.; 9:41 pm, August 23, 2005
Anonymous said...: Anon said
"Centre party, Matt?..."

I thought the fundies left UF? Haven't they rebranded or something? I barely follow politics...; 9:42 pm, August 23, 2005
Anonymous said...: Peter Dunne is the man who said Bolger was "unfit to lead" (or something like that) and then couldn't get his arse into a seat at the Cabinet table fast enough when Bolger offered it to him.

What is anyone, let alone Bob Moodie, doing in that Ship of Fools?; 9:45 pm, August 23, 2005
Anonymous said...: Bob was always 'unusual'. Remember the kaftans?; 9:46 pm, August 23, 2005
Anonymous said...: Well, maybe they're planning to dump Dunne as leader, or perhaps he intends to retire eventually. Or will he become like Winston, and end up pickled in the Green Parrot, on display in a jar? No, I don't mean that, but you know what I mean I hope.; 9:48 pm, August 23, 2005
Laws Watch said...: It always puzzled us why a man in a kaftan would sing a song entitled "My Friend the Wind". Would have thought the wind was the last thing someone in a kaftan would want.; 9:49 pm, August 23, 2005
Anonymous said...: The Lions got stuck into the mayoral carcass last night when the Diva started bullshitting about how badly Kowhai Park needed him to make it an international attraction.

When he said that kids were going elsewhere for their kicks the hecklers demanded to know where. The first thing that came into his head, apparently, was "Queensland".

He couldn't get out of there fast enough.; 9:56 pm, August 23, 2005
Anonymous said...: Lions 1
Laws 0; 10:04 pm, August 23, 2005
Anonymous said...: My guess is there were about 30 Lions there and any who might have voted for him ten months ago would rather drink a cup of cold sick than ever do so again.; 10:10 pm, August 23, 2005
Anonymous said...: I just saw the Chronicle column about the secret caucus. What a laugh. What a change from the usual dross. Thanks Mr Maslin.; 10:13 pm, August 23, 2005
Anonymous said...: Who is Terry Sarten and why isn't he in the running for the by-election?; 10:18 pm, August 23, 2005
Anonymous said...: Michael Michael told a lie
Said Kowhai Park just made kids cry
When the Lions came out to play
Michael Michael ran away; 10:25 pm, August 23, 2005
Anonymous said...: why isn't he in the running for the by-election?

10:18 PM

How do you know he isn't?; 10:33 pm, August 23, 2005
Anonymous said...: Hate to introduce some facts on the Lions fantasy peddled here but the buzz at council is that there's to be a partnership between Lions and council, offered by the mayor/accepted by Lions, to jointly develop and expand Kowhai Park. Randhir there nodding away and even Jim Ennis seemed won over.; 5:40 am, August 24, 2005
Anonymous said...: Sorry, anonymous, but the Kowhai Park "buzz" you're hearing at council sounds suspiciously like noises emanating from the Diva's backside, to which are obviously too close.

Fact: The Lions gave Laws a hard time over reading in the paper about his meisterplan for the park, and his wild claims about plummeting patronage.

Fact: He eventually had to back down, and took off at speed at the first opportunity.

Fact: The "heads of agreement" suggestion did not come from the Diva.

Perhaps if you put a bit more distance between yourself and the Diva's backside, anonymous, you might gain the benefit of a bit of objectivity.; 7:06 am, August 24, 2005
Anonymous said...: And the winner is .... not the Chron.

While Dave Laurence waited with bated breath for the Winston First List to be delivered to his august organ yesterday, National Radio was carrying list details on Midday Report and the full list was available on the internet.

NZ First f-f-f-fading away
24.08.2005
By Dave Laurence
.... An official national list of candidate nominations will be released this afternoon.

While the Chron languishes in the special needs class, Granny Herald tells all in today's issue at
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/index.cfm?c_id=1&ObjectID=10342093

No, there's no Wanganui name on the list, so save yourself a buck tomorrow and don't vote for the Chron(ic); 7:22 am, August 24, 2005
Anonymous said...: I liked that piece...it reminds us that support for Winnie is plummeting - perhaps it will go below 5% before election day...; 7:38 am, August 24, 2005
Anonymous said...: And then, just imagine if Winnie lost Tauranga; where would the Diva go in 2008?; 7:39 am, August 24, 2005
Anonymous said...: Yes, the latest weekend TV ONE/Colmar Brunton poll showed Winston First going down faster than a pinot gris at the Green Parrot.

Adding in Jim Anderton's seat and the nine seats the Greens would have under current polling and a Labour-led coalition would have a majority of 65.

On the other side even with New Zealand First, the Maori Party and United Future a National-led coalition would still only have 55 seats.

And even Winston must have realised by now that pulling more Iraqis out of the hat isn't going to help.; 7:45 am, August 24, 2005
Anonymous said...: Yes, you know Winnie's getting desperate when he starts offering tax cuts.; 7:47 am, August 24, 2005
Anonymous said...: Watch for the Diva Devotion Party offering FREE Diva Devotion Potion for all over 60s.; 7:47 am, August 24, 2005
Anonymous said...: Re the Chron and the Winston First list:

Those who have already spent their buck for a copy of today's Chron will have a slightly different view of that organ's incompetence to those relying on the website version.

The list is in fact buried in the back of today's issue, despite what the front page story says about it not being released till THIS AFTERNOON.

So, whatever way you look at it, it's not exactly a red letter day on Taupo Quay.; 8:21 am, August 24, 2005
Anonymous said...: I've just been advised of this conversation and I was at the Lions meeting at the racecourse. The suggestion of a partnership most definitely did come from the mayor. Cheers.; 9:39 am, August 24, 2005
Anonymous said...: Yes, the mayor is finally leaning some manors. We're work with him if the out come is good for Wanganui. Still doesn't mean we like him.; 11:07 am, August 24, 2005
Anonymous said...: Did everyone read the First Person today? Just an normal guy saying what he would change if he could ... the mayor and half the council! Go mate!; 11:12 am, August 24, 2005
Anonymous said...: Does anyone know who the Vision team will put up for the by -election?; 11:14 am, August 24, 2005
Anonymous said...: Still trying to figure out how the Chron cocked up the list coverage so badly but they seem to have been caught in a time warp of their very own.

Since it has become our very own Rocky Horror Picture Show it helps to see Sean as Riff Raff and Mas as the narrator ... oh and the Diva has to be Dr Frank N Furter:

Sean: t's astounding
Time is fleeting
Madness takes its toll
But listen closely

I've got to keep control
I remember doing the Time Warp
Drinking those moments when
The blackness would hit me

And the void would be calling

Newsroom Chorus: Let's do the Time Warp again
Let's do the Time Warp again

The Diva: It's just a jump to the left

Chron Chorus: And then a step to the right

Diva: With your hands on your hips

Chron Chorus: You bring your knees in tight
But it's the pelvic thrust
That really drives you insane

Mas: Let's do the Time Warp again
Let's do the Time Warp again; 11:39 am, August 24, 2005
Anonymous said...: Anyone heard who the new CEO is? Laws Watch, been to any good parties lately ?; 12:04 pm, August 24, 2005
Anonymous said...: When is the next council meeting?; 12:06 pm, August 24, 2005
Anonymous said...: Cor - another Chron editorial today spreading the good word for the Nats. Looks like Chester has been casting spells on Maslin.; 12:27 pm, August 24, 2005
Anonymous said...: Mas really has been pulling out all the stops for National of late, eh.

Bulk funding for schools and troops in the gulf. Right on Mas. Not.; 12:29 pm, August 24, 2005
Anonymous said...: Next meeting:

The Diva's Finance and Admin committee next Tuesday 30th, then first time for Higgie in the hot seat at Community two days later.

Be there or be square!; 12:29 pm, August 24, 2005
Anonymous said...: "When is the next council meeting? "

Not sure, why don't you check their website?; 12:30 pm, August 24, 2005
Anonymous said...: Go Nicki, go Nicki
Uh Uh Uh Uh!; 12:30 pm, August 24, 2005
Anonymous said...: Anybody seen an agenda for either meeting yet?; 12:32 pm, August 24, 2005
Anonymous said...: You don't know much about the Chronicle do you? Most editorials are written by the regional version of APN and distributed through its newspapers. John Maslin would only write those of direct relevance to Wanganui.; 2:51 pm, August 24, 2005
Anonymous said...: Laws was laughing at Moodie today on his show. He also hosted a debate between Jeanette Fitzsimons & Peter Dunne and has the PM on every Friday. It worries me he has such easy access to national leaders.; 2:52 pm, August 24, 2005
Anonymous said...: Access? Perhaps he'll learn how to be a competent politician from them.; 3:00 pm, August 24, 2005

Laws Watch

Tuesday, August 23, 2005

Decisions, decisions

59 comments:

Send us your scuttlebutt!!

About The Watchers

Laws Watch by email

Blog Archive

Recent Comments

Add us to your homepage

Links

Labels