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Thursday 6 November. Final two days on campaigning and I ave spent the last two days solely in Ashburton. The people there have been great and I have enjoyed the chance to put my case forward. Remember GO AND VOTE!
Tuesday 4 November. Okay, almost there......the final week is on and I am so amazed at the amount of people who are giving their time to help my campaign. We are getting lots of support which is nice and keeps me going. I spent the day in Temuka yesterday and met lots of really great people who talked to me about a whole range of issues.
So how do I think I will go on Saturday? I am working hard for the party vote to make sure that Helen Clark can continue to be Prime Minister. I really do fear about John Key, not that I think he will intentionally do anything wrong, but he does not have the experience to lead NZ in a crisis. I think Labour will get over the line, but it will be close so every Labour person needs to vote! In Rangitata I am hoping it will be close as well, but it is hard to say. We have run a really great campaign here and I don't think we could have done anymore.
Sunday 26 October. Final countdown is on. I have been obviously bvery busy doing the door knocking and street corners meetings, in fact anything where there is a possible voter! Had some great days in Ashburton including going to the Hampstead school fair which was incredible. I was warmly received as well and I had a number of people talking about how great it would be to have a Labour MP in Ashburton. Hear hear!
Wednesday 16 October. Leaders debate last night and was interesting to see how John Key was going to go. I am sure National people would be happy with his performance as Labour people are with Helen Clark's. I thought the most nervous person was Mark Sainsbury, he did not handle the debate well and should have intervened more so there was less of the talking over each other. There was no rules about rebuttal and it was not great. Hopefully TVNZ will be better organised for the next one.
I thought John Key was very defensive over the Springbok tour, how could not have an opinion on it!! I was 6 years old when it happened and I have an opinion. Despite the fact that I am huge sports fan, I am anti-tour, given the apartheid regime at that time in South Africa. How John Key can not have an opinion about this is unbelievable. It does not really matter if people are pro or anti tour, but have an opinion.
Monday 13 October. Universal Student Allowance by 2012. This is great news not just for students but for families of students.It was incredible unfair on those who have families where their parents are in different households making both of those incomes to be taken into student allowances. When I was at University our family was on a farm so we had little or no "income" but we okay financially so I got student alowances, but others who had parents who work could not get it. This is another great committment that Labour is making to New Zealand.
Sunday 12 October. It is Sunday night and I have been in Rakaia today at the craft market there. It was great to see a lot of people there and to meet the community. Mid Canterbury has a lot of great little businesses that have great craft skills. Door knocking and delivering flyers in Ashburton took the rest of the day.
Last nigtht I was at the Star Cricket Renuion at the Gleniti Golf Club and was great to catch up with a lot of friends of my Dad's and hear some great stories. While I said that there was going to be no politics, there was bound to be some, especially with former Star cricket player, Larry Williams, now of Newstalk ZB fame there!
Labour launched it's campaign today in Auckland and the opening address can be found at www.labour08.co.nz
Saturday 11 October. I have spent the day door knocking in Timaru and have been getting a great reception. People cannot beleive what John Key, Jo Goodhew and the National Party have lined up for them. Tonight I am at the Star Cricket Club reunion of some of the guys who played with my Dad in the 1960's through to the 1990's. As current President of the Club I wanted to attend this event, even though there will be little politics!
Friday 10 October. John Key's tax package will hurt those on low incomes in the region comprising Rangitata. They get very little but with the cuts in services that will come as well as the axe he has taken to Kiwisaver is disgraceful. How can they think this will be good. 800,000 New Zealanders have gone into Kiwisaver with the promise that Labour has given them and now John Key will take it away. Plonker.
Friday 3 October. John Key "mania" hit Timaru yesterday with a walk down the main street of Timaru. I was in Ashburton yesterday so I did not see anything of it and only heard reports today. It appears it was a lot more quieter than when Don Brash visited Timaru before the last election. He also went to the Hospice in Timaru which was in conjunction with a policy that National released in giving $15 million per year. Hospice do a great job and I am in no way having a crack at them, but this "policy on the fly" that National has is simply vote catching.
Again with National Party policy there is no detail about who gets the money as Hospices are not the only organisations that offer palliative care in New Zealand.
Tuesday 30 September. Last day of September and it is great to have some more daylight hours so I can deliver the pamphlets, letters and put up signs. Funny story in the Timaru Herald today about the fact that we have a Green and Labour signs on our fence. Click Here to go to Story. Julie supports the Green party and the environment policies it has which is also mostly the Labour policies. One thing we do share is our mistrust of John Key and the National Party!
Saturday 27 September. I was "hoofing it with Harold" this morning as part of a promotion with the Mid and South Canterbury Life Education Trust. Harold the Giraffe tells kids that they should keep thier "heads up" high and was a fun day...until the wind and rain arrived suddenly and ended the event sooner than expected.
Friday 26 September. A very busy week with the hoarding signs going up and the long weekend in Timaru. The hoarding sites we have are great and is wonderful to have a heap more in Ashburton. Some strong winds put the test on the building skills on some of the team My son Archie who is 3 years old has had great fun this week standing outside my office waving one of the smaller signs at passing cars! See the photo below.
Archie and I went up to Ashburton this morning and spent a couple of hours collecting for the Arthritis Appeal which was great to be able to help out. We visited a lot of businesses in the central part of Ashburton. In the afternoon after spending a couple of hours filling in at Port FM on the "Midday Music Cafe" I went out to ANDAR for their anniversary celebrations. ANDAR is an example of how well a business in a rural region has done under the Labour government.
I have been asked several times this week about my thoughts about the John Key and Shares in Tranzrail issue. He has tried to deflect the issue but at the end of the day he lied. People have said that it was only a small issue and he actually lost money on the deal, but that is not the point. He lied. If he lies over something small, what will he do if the pressure of being Prime Minister gets to him.
Thursday 18 September. Last night I went along to the ASB Tennis Centre to see the Young Enterprise Scheme participants present their products to the public. Now when I was at Timaru Boys High School our product was miniature school crests. Needless to say there was not a large uptake among the students. That year also talked about having the school crest on a condom and selling those. Apparently that idea comes up every year! The items that were up for sale inrucluded enviroment friendly shopping bags, sock straps to keep your socks up, compost and alcohol breath testers. The students were all very keen to ahow off thier products and congratulations to them all.
Wednesday 17 September. The National Party health policy released recently will hurt those on low incomes. In the video above you see how out of touch John Key and Tony Ryall are by saying that it is not a factor with New Zealanders. When I door knock and speak at meetings one of the main things people have liked about the Labour government is the subsidies on doctor visits. People tend to forget that going to the doctor costs well over $50 and that the only reason it is cheaper is that the Labour Government sudsidies the cost. I will put it to Jo Goodhew at the public debates why she wants the "market" to control the prices for health. We remember well the 1990's and the "part-charges" on hospital visits. The DHB's were told to make money ahead of patient care. It is great to see our DHB's and espeically the South Canterbury District Health Board put patients first.
Tuesday 16 September 2008. I have put up on this site a video player above with some political videos. Some tounge and cheek, some serious. I may even put some up myself....
Saturday 13 September 2008. Yesterday the Prime Minister Helen Clark announced that the General Election would take place on November 8. The electorate of Rangitata will be an intersting taking in the Labour areas of the old Aoraki electorate with the traditional National area of Mid Canterbury. Traditions though don't always last and in 2005 the "safe" Labour seat of Aoraki went to National with a well run campaign by Jo Goodhew. 3 years later the region can now judge whether they made the right choice.
Over the next weeks I will be outlining my vision for Rangitata. What I stand for and what I beleive in. I will be outlining some of the issues that I have been involved in locally.
See below for a selection of photos at various events I have been at.
Archie sign waving outside my office in Stafford Street.
With IRD and Work and Income Staff talking about Working for Families.
At the opening of the Geraldine Resource Centre.
Reading the Prime Ministers message at the Geraldine Resource Centre opening.
Taking on the rock climbing wall (and losing) at the Aoraki Polytech in the Labour vs Chamber of Commerce contest.
Collecting for the Cancer Society.
Singing at the Ashburton Scottish Society as "The Big Bopper". Photo courtesy of Ashburton Guardian.
With protestor who is against the National Party's plan for privatisation.
At the official opening of the campaign office with Mahara Okeroa (MP for Te Tai Tonga)
With James Smith (Central South Island Tourism) and Damien O'Connor (Minister of Tourism)
Tackling the student debt monster...
With the Prime Minister, Helen Clark.
At Ashburton College.
At the opening of the Ashburton Events Centre with Tim Barnett (we are not holding hands....). Photo courtesy of Ashburton Guardian.
Caroline Bay plantings with Tim Barnett (Christchurch Central MP) and Ruth Dyson (Banks Peninsula MP)
Reducing our carbon footprint at a Labour Conference in Timaru.From left Erin Ebborn-Gillespie (Wigram Candidate) and Daivd Coates (Selwyn Candidate)
Authorised by Craig Burnett, 18 Grants Road, Timaru.