Wendy Geus: Electorate vote David Seymour for Epsom.....Mike Hosking is.

Goldsmith retained activist electoral commissioner and is impeding the BSA demise.

David Seymour received a high level endorsement this week for retaining the Epsom electorate. Mike Hosking, desperately trying to be balanced in his election coverage often comes off as piously clinging to the moral high ground.

Perhaps sums weren't his best subject at school but his attempt to explain the split vote approach to enable the right bloc to retain power was a bit wobbly. He's just not a fan but the laissez faire approach could result in a loss for the Coalition, just ask National Party stalwart, mathematician Maurice Williamson.

On a brighter note, Hosking gave a ringing endorsement to Seymour this week on his radio show, opining:

"I live in Epsom currently, I'd vote for Seymour. I don't mind saying I vote for Seymour. Seymour is a good local MP. Forget whether he's part of the ACT party... as a local MP he's a very, very, very good local MP."

The cynical broadcaster surprised me. Wow, I thought, everything's coming up roses for David. About time. However, if Hosking party votes National he will be throwing his vote away. A party vote for ACT (or NZ First) is worth more and enough votes could generate enough seats to guarantee a right bloc victory. I'm not sure if Hosking understands the rationale behind this or he is blindly obedient to outgoing PM Luxon.

For the first time today in his media stand up revealing his party manifesto, self effacing Seymour asked his audience to electorate vote Seymour for Epsom. And for some balance he threw in a plug for the National candidate for Nelson, (a better choice than the current Labour MP).

(It goes without saying electorate votes for National across the country will ensure a large number of their current 43 seats retained. Oodles of Party votes for ACT and NZ First will, hopefully, along with the ill winds blowing for the left, get the Coalition over the line.)

A desperate Luxon has been seen in Epsom begging for electorate votes for Goldsmith now that everything has changed and the List MP is about to lose his list seat due to the drop in popularity for National; along with Willis and Brownlee and Bishop too, if he loses Hutt South... that would be a loss.

I hope Epsom voters hold their ground and like Hosking, give their electorate vote to Seymour, the “very, very, very good local MP” (unquote).

Yes, Seymour would get in on the List, but as a party leader an electorate seat gives him more heft, and insurance for the future.

Paul Goldsmith has proven to be a procrastinator and unreliable, probably under the thumb of Luxon and blocked by Potaka, when it comes to legislation to reduce race based policy.

After the turmoil which ensued following the 2023 election, overseen by Electoral Commissioner Karl Le Quesne, when, now deceased MP Natasha Kemp, was alleged to have stretched the rules overlooked by activist public servants, very little has changed.

No accountability, to my knowledge has taken place. Apart from wagging his finger at the commissioner, who continues to be deeply into embedding the Treaty into the 2023 election, unnecessary and very expensive during this 'cost of living crisis'

He should have been sacked. No matter how difficult that is. Our Parliament is the highest court in the land.

Like Nike.. Just do it!

Furthermore Luxon's recently announced 'first 100 days' plan ignores passing legislation introduced to the House to remove the Broadcasting Standards Authority, an activist organisation which exists to penalise opinions it disagrees with. It is clear Luxon is keen to appease the activists.

This is the main reason he has lost popularity.

The report into the Waitangi Tribunal, which Hosking continually quizzed Luxon about, was intentionally not released before parliament adjourned for the year and watered down action around removing Treaty references from the public service never eventuated.

A disempowered Goldsmith stymied by Potaka, under Luxon's instructions? Whatever.

He does not deserve the Epsom seat.

Electorate vote, Seymour.

Wendy Geus is a former speechwriter and generalist communications advisor in local government. She now writes for the pure love of it.