Posted on 09/17/2005 1:48:18 AM PDT by shaggy eel
New Zealand's voting booths closed one and three quarter hours ago and with 25% of the votes counted it looks like Helen Clark won't have a third term as Prime Minister.
New Zealand looks like it will be lead by Don Brash's National Party, in coalition with United Future and possibly ACT.
ping
Good on you Shaggy! Listening live to RNZ, phoning Kiwi mates and just about to hoist a glass, by way of celebration.
Bring back your air force!!! That stupid nanny sold it all off
,,, Byron! How long has it been since we've chatted? Great to see you here. I've waited so long for this shift in ground that we're seeing. Provincial NZ is going for National big time. The Kyoto Protocol doesn't fly in those areas. New Zealand should rock with King Don in the hotseat.
I hope you're right, mate.
,,, in fairness Den, the combat wing was past its "use by" date. The nanny's unforgiveable sin was to cancel the lease to own deal with the US for the F-16s we were offered as replacements, on very favourable terms.
,,, how much worse could it be than under Klark? Don can run a dialogue with John Howard, US officials and plenty of others. Klark has made her distaste for our traditional allies quite apparent.
Thanks for the details and glad Helen Clark seems to be gone
Wins in NZ and Germany could help ease the nausea I have felt since the disaster in Norway.
:)
The Maori Party looks to be forging ahead to form a coalition with National as well.
,,, arrogance and the imposition of political correctness at full tilt have landed Klark the result she's getting tonight from voters.
Peter Dunne's United Party and ACT, if it gets a seat in Parlaiment will be the quickest, no hassles coalition to be formed to go the distance.
,,, 40% of the vote counted and National have 41,6%.
One half-Maori rep there was opposed to suicidal immigration policies. He got decent press over that.
Realistically, what good is an F16 for New Zealand, except to shoot down their own air liners once the terrorists hijack one?
Way too long, my friend. Delighted to see you've put up an election thread. PS just got off the blower with a mate in Methven, he's over the moon about the way this trending. Are we past the post, or is the margin narrowing dangerously?
9.20pm: With 55.6% of polls counted, the gap between National and Labour has narrowed to barely two points. These are the leading parties:
National: 41.36%
Labour: 39.20%
NZ First: 5.75%
Greens: 5.11%
MSM was all agog with Clark, until it started to look like she and the socialists would lose. Now there's nary a peep.
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