With political coverage and advertising banned, some media again turned to photo montages of dogs at polling places to fill the abyss.
I was going to write a shrill opt-ed about how the law is an ass, given 1.98 million people cast anadvance vote while their delicate minds were being assaulted by media - but, on reflection, 12am to 7pm on election day is a nice island of peace. Let's keep it.
As he spent a six-month lockdown in NZ, co-founder of the Leave.EU campaign Arron Banks (right) said NZ First leader Winston Peters was a kindred spirit. Photo / Getty Images
Worst: Brexit Bad Boys Arron Banks and Andy Wigmore
In July, Winston Peters told RNZ his party had inked a contract with self-styled "Brexit bad boys" Arron Banks and Andy Wigmore - the mischievous UK duo behind the controversial but effective "Leave EU" campaign.
In the final event, it's not clear how much work or advice Banks and Wigmore gave NZ first - but if any funds changed hands, NZ First should ask for its money back after its spectacularly flat online campaign. Not one for the Bad Boys' CV.
Take the L out of Lover, and it's over.
Worst: Failure to keep politics out of the bedroom
David Bennett won Hamilton East by 5000 votes in 2017.
After proposing the cruelest tax, he was out on his ear last night.
Best: 'Justin' Walls
Omnipresent Herald political journo Jason Walls briefly gained stardom on US political social media, after correspondent Joyce Karem picked up on the PM's concern for "Justin"'s welfare.
At conference yesterday, Reporter forgot his Q. to NZ PM Jacinda Ardern. Here’s how it went:
• Jacinda: Justin • Reporter: Sorry it doesn’t matter • Jacinda: No problem..will come back to you...I do worry about your sleep atm, Justin pic.twitter.com/rovwRrfhyO
I'll have what he's having. Act leader David Seymour was very happy during his victory speech.
Worst: Twitter
Tech commentator and former 1News journo Pat Pilcher (aka @Iminwellington) got suspended from Twitter after an inopportune remark about Advance Party leader Billy Te Kahika.
Image / Twitter
Pilcher told the Herald in an exclusive interview, carried out via DM on a rival social media platform, "I just saw red when Billy TK refused to wear his mask properly on that Air New Zealand flight and suggested that someone should punch him in the face. Nek minute -banned. Isn't it ironic that Billy TK who's irresponsible behaviour is atrocious is still on Twitter... and I get banned for calling him out. The upside is I am getting a tonne more done."
Runner up: Facebook, for cutting off Billy TK in the middle of a streaming video address to the faithful as it took down his party's website for spreading misinformation.
After something of a lost weekend, the social media giant is starting to find its social responsibility mojo.
Worst: Gerry's endless tie
It defied analysis, but one Richard Parry gave it a shot:
OKAY we've all seen the MEME that everyone's been posting of Gerry Brownlee's weird tie, but if you actually did your research instead of laugh reacting you'd see that it's NOT an editing mistake it's just a smaller, angrier Gerry Brownlee. pic.twitter.com/S9Y2I8vbPg
Well, someone had to come last. On the night it was HeartlandNZ, who fell behind Social Credit at the last moment - despite its home page featuring hands-down the best photo of a party leader dealing to a cabbage. Thanks for participating, Mark Ball, and we'll see you in 2023.
With 480,000 special votes yet to be counted. Source / Electoral Commission.
The partner of NZ leader Jacinda Ardern comes to feed journalists outside their house on election night and they have a lovely chat about his daughter, parents, mowing the lawn and fishing. Can New Zealand just run the world please? https://t.co/IHgrMH5dne
