By-election in Northland

I've stopped paying much attention to national politics but I did enjoy Sean Plunket playing with the new National candidate.

I do believe that Winston Peters is about to strip National of its minority and the smile off Key's face.

Winston Peters about to strip government of its majority

AUDIO: NORTHLAND CANDIDATE KNEW ABOUT SABIN RUMOURS

National's Northland candidate Mark Osborne says while he didn't know anything about the shadows that hung over former MP Mike Sabin, he had heard rumours. Sean Plunket checks out his CV and asks what are the "dreams and goals" he can bring to his constituents in the north?

To hear Sean Plunkett walk over Mark “Hoss Cartwright” Osboune GO HERE

John Key brushes off Winston Peters' Northland surge

Stuff,

7 March, 2015

Prime Minister John Key denies his presence in Northland has anything to do with an apparent surge in support for Winston Peters in the region's by-election.

The last 3News-Reid Research poll gave New Zealand First's Peters had 5 per cent swing over National party candidate Mark Osborne, and put Labour's Willow-Jean Prime on 16 per cent.

"Quite clearly you know, Winston Peters is the fly in the ointment if you like in so much that all of the opposition parties are going to (gather) around Winston Peters so that makes our job harder," Key said on Saturday during a tour of the region.

Peters would create challenges for the party because by-elections historically have had low voter turnout and Greens, Labour and Mana voters would likely give protest votes to New Zealand First, he said.

An Osborne loss would not overturn the Government, but it would leave National with 59 seats in the 121-seat Parliament and would require two votes from a combination of the Maori Party's two seats or the single votes of ACT and United Future.