Talking up a win on day polls dip

A109 Light Utility Helicopter flight with mayor Gisborne City from the air in November 2023.

Opinion

Prime Minister Chris Hipkins brought the fighting talk, as well as a bag of goodies, to Tairāwhiti this week only to find on the same day that the Labour Party had slipped even further in the polls.

Hipkins made the big call while here that Labour had the best candidates in the two regional seats, East Coast and Ikaroa Rāwhiti. Flanked by his candidates Tamati Coffey and Cushla Tangaere-Manuel, Hipkins was in a positive mood.

The big announcement of the visit was that the Government had approved $15 million to raise about 200 homes at risk of future flooding, with a large proportion of that going to the flood-ravaged township of Te Karaka.

Wairoa will also benefit from the funding announced, including $1.2 million to Wairoa District Council to extend the operational distance of Wairoa Airport. The inability to fly in badly needed supplies was a big factor in the damage and disruption that Wairoa suffered in Cyclone Gabrielle.

The extra aid has been expected for some time and Hipkins moved to counter criticism that the Government’s response had been slow, comparing it with National’s response to the Christchurch earthquakes which he said had only affected one region.

In some ways the announcements brought back memories of the FPP election days when the then Gisborne seat was one of the most marginal in the country, attracting promises of things like a third bridge across the Tūranganui River — which never eventuated.

But the country has an MMP system now and the rules of the game have changed. It is the party vote that is key now.

Still, Hipkins would have done good work for the Government with his positive and personable attitude.

Unfortunately the same day he would learn that Labour had slipped another point in the latest poll. But the right wing bloc of National and ACT had also slipped, leaving them with a narrow margin of one seat and right on the minimum needed of 61.

ACT and the Greens had moved slightly up and NZ First was at 5 percent and on target to return to the House,  led by Winston Peters.

National leader Christopher Luxon is still fudging about bringing NZ First into government but seems to be keeping that possibility as some sort of an insurance policy.

This complicated situation is leading some political commentators to believe that this is going to be one of the most interesting elections for some time.

In the meantime Hipkins has to back up those fighting words.