2014 New Zealand voting guide for lovers of liberty

1. Is there a positive candidate to endorse?

2. Is there a likely winner worthy of tactically voting to eject because he or she is so odious??

3. Is there a tolerable "least worst" candidate?

So I list by electorate, the status of the electorate and who I am endorsing, then if you care, an explanation why.  Just search for the name unless you want to have a very long read...  and of course I am happy to see contrary views expressed.  I am updating this as I am on a series of flights in the next couple of days, and it is dependent on the gap between flights, wifi access and access to laptop power...

Auckland Central - Marginal National -  Strongly endorse Dasha Kovalenko (ACT) - Nicki Kaye is MP and she's up against the ambitious underachiever Jacinda Ardern. So what can you say?  Nicki Kaye lists her achievements which look like a porkbarrel list of money she has helped get dished out to her electorate.  Not one includes stopping a programme or project that was a waste of money, or any form of economising at all, and she advocates the multi-billion dollar underground rail loop that is a massive transfer from taxpayers to around 2% of Auckland commuters (and some of Auckland's wealthiest property owners).  I am keen for the National Party to have clever, principled, ambitious young MPs who can take the party forward.  Nicki Kaye isn't one of those.  Yes, the Nats want to have more women MPs, but Nicki Kaye could be a Labour MP in a Labour Government and you wouldn't know the difference.  

In fact you may as well have Jacinda Ardern, who with a BA in Communications (i.e. spin) she has spent her life working for Labour MPs, then working for the Blair/Brown government and was President of the International Union of Socialist Youth - an organisation that proudly includes in its membership the late Hugo Chavez's MAS party.  Ardern has never created a job nor worked in the private sector in her life.  However, as much as you may be tempted to vote for Kaye to keep Ardern out, remember they are both in.  Ardern is number 5 on the Labour list, and is out to become Helen Clark Mk II. 

What would I do?  Forget this faux choice.  Vote Dasha Kovalenko of ACT.  Yes, another woman, She's a lawyer, yes she's also worked for government agencies, but is of Ukrainian/Russian heritage (her family having moved to NZ when she was a child) and is head and shoulders above the other two.  Take this post from her, clearly setting out the importance of having children when you can commit both the money and time to doing so.  So don't be seduced by the choice between tweedledum and tweedledee (for that is what Kaye and Ardern offer).  Give Dasha your positive endorsement. 

Bay of Plenty - Strongly safe National -  Moderately endorse Todd Muller (National) Tony Ryall is retiring, and good riddance,  but it is difficult to imagine Todd Muller of National not picking up the seat (he is only number 59 on the list so would be unlikely to get elected that way). About the only interesting thing about this seat is Brendan Horan is trying for it, but he has no chance (nor should he).  Muller's website doesn't load quickly (or at all). The Nats' website says he has a Masters degree, but not what in.  However he does seem to have extensive business experience.  The Labour candidate Clare Wilson has a profile of absolutely no information at all. It's a lazy effort from someone who knows she wont win.  United Future candidate Ben Rickard is a bit mixed wanting to legalise cannabis and raise the drinking age.  I'd give Muller a tick because he seems the "least worst" candidate.  The Nats can always do with more people who understand business.

Botany - Strongly safe National - Moderately endorse Ross (National) I endorsed Jami-Lee Ross last time, and Peter Cresswell's response was "The problem with Mr Ross however is that he’d done nothing all his own life but spend other people’s money, and then vote for more of the same. Fuck him."  His website is too slow to be useful, and it is clear he didn't finish university, which would be interesting if he had gone into the private sector, but he didn't.  His achievement was the Employment Relations (Continuity of Labour) Amendment Bill, which allows employers to hire contractors in the event of a strike, which is a tick in his favour as this was endorsed by Libz.  His Labour opponent is an Azeri migrant with more experience of business than Ross, but who is a socialist.  So I'm giving Ross my endorsement again, albeit that he is high enough up the Nats list to get elected anyway at number 29.

Christchurch Central - Highly marginal National - Strongly endorse Severin (ACT)  Nicky Wagner ousted Labour spinmeister Brendon Burns here, which I endorsed, but with the depopulation of downtown Christchurch, thanks to the central planning based policies of the government, she will have a battle on her hands.  Good. She is Minister of Customs and Minister of Statistics, and in both there hasn't been the slightest sign of the state pulling back,  people are still prosecuted for not filling in a form (the census).  She is proudly a key tax collector.  Given the abject failure to let Christchurch property owners gain access to their businesses and let the city develop spontaneously, she does not deserve your vote.  Tony Milne, the Labour candidate, volunteered for the Obama campaign and the Jim Anderton Mayoral campaign, he's an anti-gambling socialist, so isn't worth supporting, but is also not bad enouh  So give Toni Severin from ACT your vote. She's a small business owner, and the bigger the vote she gets, the greater the signal to the Nats that their Soviet style approach to the Christchurch rebuild isn't supported.  Nicky Wagner at number 25 on the National list is unlikely to be out of a job yet though.

Christchurch East - Strongly safe Labour - Weakly endorse Hayes (National) Lianne Dalziel won last time then stood down to be Mayor, and the seat is now held by Poto Williams since last year.  She has an MBA and is doing a Doctor Thesis on Pacific Women Leadership.  She is clearly part of the leftwing swing that has taken over Labour in recent years. In her maiden speech she mentions the murder of James Whakaruru and then says it is "the sacred duty of government to care for its people" and then goes on to paint a picture of socialist utopia, where "My dream includes ensuring that we all have the same opportunities, the playing field is levelled".  She then claims that if only the state had supported James's mother, he presumably wouldn't have been beaten by a vacuum cleaner pipe. What outcome for him, if she had teenage pregnancy help and support for her mental wellbeing? What if bonding and attachment with her young baby had been encouraged and nurtured? What if she had access to training and resources and housing to raise her young child confidently?  What if she had acted like a normal mother and stopped a man beating her son to death. Poto Williams is part of the problem, she excuses brutality by there not being "enough support", rather than by protecting young children from brutes and the imbeciles who invite them into their homes to abuse their kids.  She works in this sector, which makes me half wonder if she wouldn't do less harm being an MP than supporting those who are not fit to be parents, but no - I don't want her making laws.  The choice here is simple, Jo Hayes is the National candidate, she is Maori, a recently elected list MP (because Katrina Shanks dropped out) and has a science degree, although has largely worked in the public and "community" sectors.  There is little to indicate she is pro-liberty, but Poto Williams most certainly is not. Hayes did well standing in Dunedin last time, so vote Jo Hayes to try to unseat Williams.  Otherwise, you could always tick Robert Wilkinson of the ALCP, he's suggested legalising cannabis in Christchurch to help boost the local economy, but my pick is that Williams is bad enough to focus on unseating her. 

Clutha Southland - Strongly safe National - Strongly support Nicolson (ACT) This is Bill English's seat, but he's pulling out of constituency work to concentrate on spending your money.  Todd Barclay is a shoo in here, given English got more than 2 out of 3 votes in 2011.  Barclay's career has been to work in Bill English's office, work in PR and to be Corporate Affairs manager for a tobacco company.  This anointing of a successor who has spent most of his life spinning either for politicians or tobacco isn't a reason to give him a tick.  Don Nicolson of ACT deserves your support, as an advocate for private property rights and opponent of corporatist subsidies.  I am doubting that Barclay is either of those.  Did I mention Labour? No, why would I?

Coromandel - Safe National -  Weakly support Simpson (National) Scott Simpson of the Nats is likely to win here again, partly because Green moonbat Catherine Delahunty peels away so many votes that would go to Labour, given Jeanette Fitzsimons once convinced enough halfwits to put her in here..  The Labour candidate worked for the French Embassy and is unimpressive,  Simpson is unimpressive, but inoffensive. ACT's candidate David Olsen is much the same, so given he has no chance of winning, I'm weakly endorsing Simpson given the Greens may well come second here this time, and his maiden speech, after a lot of waffle, did say many of the right things.  Hopefully next term he might get to do something about them.

Dunedin North - Moderately safe Labour - Weakly support Woodhouse (National) Labour's David Clark succeeded the formidable Pete Hodgson here. He's not a typical Labour MP, being a Presbyterian Minister, but he's a socialist, thinking the country bakes an economic pie, and some get "too much".  This is just complete nonsense, we all bake our own pies, but some want some of others'.  The two independent candidates haven't figure out how to set up their own websites yet.  The National candidate is list MP Michael Woodhouse, who wasn't honest about his family history, but he did support voluntary student union membership vocally.  Given Clark is so leftwing, I'd weakly endorse Woodhouse to try to oust Clark, who at 26 on the list may not make it if Labour has a bad night.

Dunedin South - Moderately safe Labour - Strongly support Hamish Walker (National) The odious Clare Curran is standing again, like I said last time she is a vile little PR hack who would be in a Dirty Politics book written by a journalist rather than a Marxist hack.  She looks for poor people to pimp politically, claims her opponents are homophobic and nasty and had allegedly been approached to join the Kim Dotcom party.  She is well to the left, wanting to tax websites to pay for state authorised content.  This hardened Marxist is so toxic you'd wonder why a certain "journalist" didn't mention her in his book? Hamish Walker from National is the candidate most likely to evict her AND she isn't on the party list.  He started his own property business, worked entirely in the private sector has degrees in accountancy and a diploma in film and television (yes yes I know).  He's worth a vote to get rid of Curran.

East Coast - Moderately safe National - Abstain. It's the Anne Tolley, Moana Mackey contest... again. I was first aware of Tolley as a screeching censorship advocate, to protect children (of course), and more lately she has advocated censoring information about school performance to placate unions.  She's an idiot, and an authoritarian.  Moana Mackey is an underachieving Marxist who has made little impact. There is no ACT or ALCP candidate, the NZ First candidate thinks reopening the railway to Gisborne makes sense, and the Conservative candidate signs up to the whole authoritarian conservative agenda. The other parties are beyond the pale, so in East Coast, tick ACT and leave the other one blank.

East Coast Bays - Strongly safe National - Abstain  Conservative minded voted will be tempted by Colin Craig.  Yes if he won this seat it would secure National a coalition partner.  Would it?  Colin Craig has since said he'd work with Labour (but that would have to be unlikely), and although his advocacy for a tax free threshold and one law for all have some merit, it's clear that behind this all is a desire to legislate.  You wont see any thought for state surveillance, freedom of speech or any hesitation to change the burden of proof for some criminal offences with him. So no.  Then there is Murray McCully.  Ugh.  Labour's Greg Milner-White is a lawyer with a background in planning and environmental protection.  Double ugh.  So Colin Craig looks good now?  I couldn't do it, nor should you.

Epsom - Marginal ACT - David Seymour  Quite simply.  Forget John Banks, forget Rodney Hide. David Seymour is a genuine defender of individual freedom.  He deserves your unreserved support, not just because he'll get the reformed ACT back in Parliament, but because he actually is a principled supporter of less government, unlike the incumbent.

Hamilton East - Safe National - Ron Smith     David Bennett isn't a bad MP, his literature focuses on roads which, given what others focus on, isn't bad (and the roads he is pushing for are all reasonably worthwhile).  The Labour candidate Cliff Allen has a Ph.D in "business social responsibility" (barf) who is forecasting coming disasters.   You shouldn't feel bad choosing Bennett, but I'd pick ACT's Ron Smith because Bennett's majority is solid enough that he wont be at risk, and Ron is keen to take on environmental activism and promote a flat tax.

Hamilton West - Marginal National -  Sara Muti  This is a tougher one.  The awful Sue Moroney does have a chance of picking this up from Tim Macindoe.  However Macindoe is no friend of freedom, he was in United Future (a sure sign of wetness), is in the BlueGreens and was against same sex marriage.  SO vote for Sara Muti of ACT, she's a keen advocate of free markets and spreading "classical liberal" ideas.

Helensville - Strongly safe National - Phelan Pirrie  Phelan Pirrie of ACT supports private property rights and lower taxes.  John Key could do with a signal that his opponents are just the slobbering Marxist mobs, and Pirrie could do with beating both the certifiable Penny Bright and the evil Laila Harre.

Hunua - Strongly safe National - Ian Cummings Paul Hutchinson is leaving thankfully, so the question is whether the Nat's Andrew Bayly is worthy of your vote.  His profile indicates he is out to seek more pork for his electorate.  ACT is putting up Ian Cummings who says "A terrifying common presumption held by our current crop of politicians is that they believe the government has a higher claim on our property and person than we do".  Better than Bayly

Hutt South - Safe Labour - Chris Bishop   Jan Pajak the independent, is mad.  Trevor Mallard deserves to get a real job, and sadly ACT's Grae O'Sullivan doesn't have enough online for me to give that person (he/she?) a tick.  Take a gamble, choose Chris Bishop of National.

Ilam - Strongly safe National - Gareth Veale Do you really want to endorse Gerry Brownlee after the lost opportunity and pathetic failure to let Christchurch rebuild itself, rather than let planners and bureaucrats constrain it?  No.  James Dann for Labour is providing a challenge, and he is known for a blog on rebuilding Christchurch called just that, although there isn't much said about property rights or entrepreneurship there (surprise surprise).  So you can tick ACT's Gareth Veale instead, it wont hurt Gerry (Stockholm Syndrome = Christchurch), but it is a vote for less government.

Invercargill - Safe National - Sarah Dowie   The Nats have put up Sarah Dowie to replace Eric Roy.  Dopey Lesley Soper for Labour is having another shot at this seat.  There is no ACT or ALCP candidate here so I'm giving Dowie the benefit of the doubt in the hope that fresh younger candidates can refresh the National Party, even though her website took too long to load at Prague Airport!

Kaikoura - Strongly safe National - Richard Evans Unremarkable Nat MP Colin King was de-selected for this election, so Richard Evans of ACT or Stuart Smith of the Nats.  Stuart Smith seems a reasonable chap, but he'll swoop in with no effort, so why not tick Richard Evans of ACT as he actually mentions the free market, positively!

Kelston - New seat - Christopher Penk This is likely to be a Labour seat based on the boundaries, so the question is whether you want to give Carmel Sepuloni a challenge.  Claudette Hauiti would have been the Nat candidate, but she was rightly replaced by Christopher Penk.  Penk is a lawyer associated with the Maxim Institute, which isn't exactly related to freedom, so he may be better suited to the Conservatives, but frankly his National profile just reflect the same inoffensive pablum of so many. Now Sepuloni is a nasty piece of work, and a vote for Penk to oust her can be justified.   That's what I would do, although Bruce Haycock of ACT is a respectable alternative if Penk just is a step too far.

Mana - Safe Labour - Richard Goode  Kris Faafoi or Hekia Parata?  To hell with them both, vote for libertarian Richard Goode standing under the ALCP banner.  He believes in more than just legalising weed, he believes in a smaller state and so your vote will be principled.

Mangere - almost North Korea like safe for Labour - Misa Fia Turner Labour's Sua Sio will win this, but it is worth supporting Misa Fia Turner of National to vindicate National's deselection of the disappointing Claudette Hauiti from this seat.  The Conservative candidate Edward Saafi says the ban of smacking has increased suicides and STDs.  Turner has said nothing outstanding, but Sua Sio is a big government statist and she might be just a step better.

Manukau East - Strongly safe for Labour -  Kanwal Bakshi   Ross Robertson is standing down, so Labour is putting up Jenny Salesa, a bureaucrat and Obamatron, which says it all for vacuity and empty-headedness.  I supported National's Kanwal Bakshi last time given his business background and willingness to take voluntary steps to help his community, instead of lobbying the state to do it. Salesa will likely win, so let's narrow that gap a little.

Manurewa - Safe Labour - Abstain   Louisa Wall is fairly secure here, and she doesn't believe in property rights, but embraces the collective drone attitude of identity politics.  National has selected Simeon Brown to challenge her, but he has campaigned to ban synthetic cannabis and worked on restricting alcohol sales and meddling in planning decisions.  Ugh.  Abstain.

Maungakiekie - Marginal National - Peseta Sam Lotu-Iiga Labour's Carol Beaumont is eying this seat, so keep it from her by voting for Peseta Sam Lotu-Iiga.  He seems to have worked hard locally, and keeping Beaumont out is a good enough reason to support him.

Mt Albert - Safe Labour -  Tommy Fergusson David Shearer or Melissa Lee?  Well Shearer for all his merits couldn't avoid Silent T stabbing him in the front and Melissa Lee? Well she's a disappointment as well.  Given Shearer is a shoo in, Tommy Fergusson of ACT is worth your vote, for encouragement.

Mt Roskill - Safe Labour -  Parmjeet Parmar Why Phil Goff hangs around is beyond me?  He has heritage that once was worth admiring, by taking on the student unions, but now he's dripping wet.  National's Parmjeet Parmar has been a Families Commissioner which isn't encouraging either although she is a scientist and has worked in the private sector.  For now, I'd say give her a go, send Goff out.

Napier - Marginal National - Wayne Walford   With local real estate magnate Chris Tremain standing down, this has become a marginal seat, with Labour's Stuart Nash challenging National's Wayne Walford. Walford is inoffensive, whereas Nash is possible future leader to replace Silent T.   Whaleoil is a fan of Nash, but I'm no fan of political dynasties and he wants a capital gains tax and wants the wealthiest to pay a "fair share".  Bugger that, vote Walford.

Nelson - Safe National - Maryan Street Despite having improved his performance, Nick Smith remains far too wet. I said vote Maryan Street last time to try to oust him and I'm going to say that again.  If that is a step too far, Paul Hufflett of ACT would't be a wrong choice.

New Lynn - Safe Labour - Tim Groser Silent T's fanbase is here. Vote Tim Groser.  No explanation needed.

New Plymouth - Marginal National - James Gray This is a seat that Labour is understandably targeting, with ambitious union hack Andrew Little seeking to slither his tentacles in here, but he is probably in on the list. Jonathan Young is the National incumbent, son of Muldoon era Cabinet Minister Venn Young and last time I noted he opposed shops being able to decide when they trade.  So really, you don't gain anything with him.  Little vs Young is tweedledum vs tweedledee.  So vote James Gray, he is a young ACT candidate who deserves your vote and if Young loses by the margin Gray gets he might learn something.

North Shore - Strongly safe National - Nick Kearney Maggie Barry doesn't believe you own your life and is a shoo in.  So vote Nick Kearney from ACT just to send a little message.

Northcote - Safe National - Richard Hills   Jonathan Coleman let Kim Dot Com into New Zealand and for that he deserves excoriation.  Useless dick.  Richard Hills is the Labour candidate, whose CV is unimpressive, but Coleman deserves a slap.  Tim Kronfeld from ACT might be tempting, but I was put off by his CV.  "When Davis Lange sacked Roger Douglas, Trevor De Cleene, Richard Prebble, I joined the ACT Party."  Here's an idea, spell David Lange right. Here's another idea, there was a 5 year plus gap between Roger Douglas being sacked and ACT having been established.  So hold your nose, vote Richard Hills to give Coleman the boot.  It's unlikely to work, but his failure over Kim Dot Com is unforgivable.

Northland - Strongly safe National - Abstain Mike Sabin is the encumbent and he strongly believes in the war on drugs.  Labour's Willow Jean Prime is part of Labour's identity politics, state advocacy lot, so she isn't deserving of a vote against Sabin.  So what about ACT's Craig Nelson? Who knows? He has no profile on the party's website.  Unless you want to tick him on the basis that he is in Jamie Whyte's team, I'd say abstain.

Ohariu - Marginal United Future - Sean Fitzpatrick - Peter Dunne keeps the Nats in power! Really? What was he doing 1999-2008? Keeping Labour in power too, among others.  No. Vote Sean Fitzpatrick for ACT.  He was with Libertarianz, he is an entrepreneur and was a childhood friend of mine who I back 100%.  He deserves your positive vote for both his politics and as a man himself. Don't even consider the others.

Otaki - Safe National - Abstain  Nathan Guy is pretty vacant and wet, but who else is there? Fred Macdonald who wants more money spent.  Amanda Vickers is a new funny money candidate. Abstain

Pakuranga - Strongly safe National - Jamie Whyte Tell Maurice Williamson it is time to retire, vote Jamie Whyte. It's obvious.

Palmerston North - Borderline Labour - Jono Naylor Iain Lees-Galloway is a socialist who is partly behind Labour's hard-left transport policy, among other things.  He deserves a booting.  Mayor Jono Naylor from National is wet, but Lees-Galloway should be purged.  Consider it a shift from Stalin to Khrushchev

Papakura - Safe National - John Thompson Crusher Collins is not a friend of liberty.  Like last time, John Thompson deserves your vote. Labour's leftwing Jerome Mika does not.

Port Hills - Marginal Labour - Geoff Russell - No to Ruth Dyson obviously, the Nats picked Nuk Korako who is heavily involved in Ngai Tahu (and proves that you don't need the Maori seats to have Maori candidates in winnable seats. However, Geoff Russell from ACT seems a safer bet from a small government point of view. 

Rangitata - Safe National - Tom Corbett Jo Goodhew has been a reasonable Nat MP, but give Tom Corbett from ACT your vote, as he explicitly mentions private property rights as mattering to him, which is worth a tick

Rangitikei - Safe National - Neil Wilson - Once a hotbed for funny money, Ian McKelvie is National's MP. Nothing particularly wrong about him, but ACT's Neil Wilson is worth your vote because he actually believes the purpose of life is to pursue happiness, and talks about reason.

Rimutaka - Moderately safe Labour - Lewis Holden Chris Hipkins is keen to protect unionised teachers from people who are actually good at teaching without being rubber stamped by teaching colleges, so you should vote for National's Lewis Holden. He has been pushing for NZ to be a republic for some time, which is not in itself good enough to vote for him, but he opposes local body amalgamation, and although he is a bit transport obsessed, he's a reasonable chap. The Nats could do with him in caucus.

Rodney - Safe National - Beth Houlbrooke National's relatively inoffensive Mark Mitchell is a shoo in, but Beth Houlbrooke is a strong supporter of flat tax for ACT, so is far more deserving of your vote.

Rongotai - Safe Labour - Abstain Now I DID say Chris Finlayson, but I was wrong in my haste. This is his second try, and he doesn't deserve it any more than last time, snivelling little indecisive unprincipled pablum as he is. This was my electorate growing up, but frankly they are all worse than Annette King who will win anyway. Abstain

Rotorua - Safe National - Lyall Russell - Todd McClay is just an old fashioned Muldoonist placeholder, he isn't worthy of your vote. Tamati Coffey may be curious, but he just shows how desperate Labour is to get "star" publicity. Lyall Russell is far from being ACT's best candidate (working in John Banks's office isn't something I'd be proud of), but he's better than McClay.

Selwyn - Strongly safe National - Paul Gilbert Amy Adams is a dimwit, she did little useful after the Canterbury earthquakes, and moreover has been even more hopeless in developing a kneejerk response to river pollution from farm runoff. Paul Gilbert is a self declared libertarian, he deserves your vote.

Tamaki - Strongly safe National - Mike Milne Simon O'Connor is unremarkable, ACT's Mike Milne is a convert from the Nats, which can only be a good thing. Give him a tick.

Taranaki-King Country - Strongly safe National - Barbara Kuriger With Shane Ardern standing down, the Nats have picked Barbara Kuriger, who has extensive business experience in dairy, which should piss off the Greens. She might be handy in the event of a Labour/Green coalition looking to attack dairy farming. So give her a tick

Taupo - Strongly safe National - Abstain Louise Upston isn't a friend of individual liberty, but neither is Bible boy Jamie Strange from Labour. Yes, Labour. Just leave them all alone

Tauranga - Strongly safe National - Stuart Pedersen  Simon Bridges has been disappointingly wet, so vote Stuart Pedersen from ACT to send that message

Te Atatu - Safe Labour -  Stephen Fletcher Phil Twyford is well to the left in Labour,  Alfred Ngaro from the Nats is having a go at this seat but he is already a list MP and doesn't have a background that suggests he understands individual liberty or free markets.  Stephen Fletcher from ACT doesn't stand out particularly, but he is a more principled bet, so tick Fletcher.

Tukituki - Safe National - Duncan Lennox  Whaleoil points out that National's MP Craig Foss is a rent seeking socialist,  Labour's candidate has other qualities ill suited to her election so vote Duncan Lennox for ACT.

Upper Harbour - new electorate  - Stephen Berry  You know the issue. It's National's Paula Bennett, who has a reputation for being tough on welfare and being on the right side of the party. Well Peter Cresswell gives enough evidence to suggest that no, she isn't really, especially when you have ACT's Stephen Berry standing for freedom, proud and loud and with a high placing on the ACT list.  Vote Stephen Berry, he's come a long way since I first met him and he'd listen, apply principles and stand up for what he believes in.

Waikato - Strongly safe National - Mike Burrow Lindsay Tisch hasn't been a star and he is a shoo in, so the young Mike Burrow from ACT, who believes in freedom and free markets deserves your vote instead.

Waimakariri - Highly marginal National - Clayton Cosgrove  I supported Clayton Cosgrove last time because I didn't believe the Nats deserve to win any seats in Christchurch and I still don't.  However, Cosgrove embraced all the Nats did in Christchurch, so is it worth it to give the Nats a bloody nose? On balance, yes.  It is all politician understand, and he annoys the Labour left.  However he's still far from a friend of freedom.

Wairarapa - Safe National - Shane Atkinson  National's John Hayes is stepping down, replaced with Alastair Scott, who is another rent seeker.  Shane Atkinson from ACT believes in property rights, so give him a tick.

Waitaki - Strongly safe National -  Abstain Jacqui Dean is a drugs prohibitionist, and an environmentalist. So what about Glenda Alexander the Labour candidate?  20 years a union official isn't inspiring. Abstain

Wellington Central - Moderately marginal Labour - Paul Foster-Bell  I'll admit it, I voted National, primarily because Wellington Central tends to swing according to whoever is the government and there is a chance Grant Robertson will be ejected here.  Foster-Bell is very wet,  but given the relatively marginal nature of the seat I eschewed the obvious other choice (ALCP) in the hope of a change, if only one step.

West Coast-Tasman - Moderately marginal Labour - Maureen Pugh Damien O'Connor annoys the Labour left, but Maureen Pugh from National has a chance of booting Labour from its heartland, again.  Vote Pugh.

Whanganui - Strongly safe National - Chester Borrows is standing again.  Alan Davidson left Labour and joined ACT, which is a good sign, but his profile says little.

Whangarei - Strongly safe National -  Robin Grieve Phil Heatley is leaving this seat to Shane Reti, who is a doctor and believes in "strong fiscal responsibility" and has a career in several countries.  He ought to be a shoo-in, as he is a bit of an achiever.  Him winning is no bad thing, as someone who intervened on an assault. ACT's Robin Grieve isn't a bad option, although his profile has a spelling mistake he speaks wisely on climate change, so feel free to give him a tick.  Vote Robin Grieve or Shane Reti.

Wigram - Barely safe Labour - Shaun Grieve  Jim Anderton's old electorate was a solid win for National on the party vote.  Megan Woods has a moderate majority (1500), but she was in Jim Anderton's party before he retired, so she's a big government socialist.  Karl Varley is the Nat candidate and is a "business strategist", and seems inoffensive, though he thinks small businesses need "access to the right resources", which sniffs of wanting some of yours.  Pick Varley to boot out Woods, as she is number 20 on the party list so there is a good chance this is her only chance.  However, if Varley doesn't inspire, ACT's young Shaun Grieve deserves your electorate vote as his profile shows he isn't afraid of talking about liberty.  Vote Shaun Grieve

On the Maori roll? Well next time, get off it and embrace a unified political system, but for now, if you must vote, and not abstain...

Hauraki- Waikato - Safe Labour - Nanaia Mahuta Princess Mahuta has this as her career, but if you are on the Maori electorate what choice do you have?  Two racist alternatives?  Hold your nose, vote for Princess.

Ikaroa-Rawhiti - Marginal Labour - Meka Whaitiri   This was the late Parekura Horomia's seat and is now Meka Whaitiri's. What matters is keeping Mana and the Maori Party out, so vote Meka Whaitiri

Tamaki-Makaurau - Highly Marginal Maori Party -  Peeni Henare With Pita Sharples standing down, Labour is putting up a member of the Henare clan with Peeni Henare who has something to do with Ghana, says Waatea News.  I'd pick Henare, again to dispense with the race based parties now Sharples is going.

Te Tai Hauauru - Marginal Maori Party - Chris McKenzie This is Tariana Turia's seat, and she is going as well. Adrian Rurawhe is Labour's candidate, but I'd pick Chris McKenzie from the Maori Party, his background is slightly more encouraging.

Te Tai Tokerau - Marginal Mana Party - Kelvin Davis  Keep the racist, anti-semitic, money-seeking, Marxist Hone Harawira out of Parliament and his gang of communists, terrorist sympathisers and other lowlife out as well.  Kelvin Davis is quite a good chap too.  This is very clear.

Te Tai Tonga - Marginal Labour - Emma-Jane Mihaere Kingi ALCP is the obvious choice here, why even consider the others?  You could vote Georgina Beyer in as a joke, because if Hone wins his seat, it would take a list MP away from Internet Mana, but no... Beyer is unemployable, so don't make her a highly paid beneficiary.

Waiariki - Marginal Maori Party - Te Ururoa Flavell  I wouldn't say vote for Flavell if it weren't for his toughest rival, Annette Sykes.  You could abstain, risk Sykes getting elected and face one of the most radical, anti-Western civilisation, anti-freedom, Islamist sympathising, vile politicians in the country showing what the Maori seats have become. It would also show what a couple of decades of taxpayer funded radical education at universities and below have done to some Maori, that this bitch is tolerated rather than ostracised like a neo-Nazi.   I fear though, given the easy ride the mainstream media in NZ has given so many not too far removed from her, that it wouldn't be noticed.  Flavell is the option to avoid Sykes.  Have a stiff drink, hold your nose, vote Flavell, then go have a hot bath.

UPDATE 1:  Helsinki..

UPDATE 2: Hong Kong...

FINISHED IN SYDNEY... now to drink