Andrew Williams

Mr Jan Trotman, 66, kept man of St Mary’s Bay has cracked his ribs:

On the eve of his return to Parliament, Winston Peters is nursing a rib injury after taking a fall.

Renowned as a hard man, the New Zealand First leader was clearing out election material in the weeks after the election when the accident occurred.

“I was moving a whole lot of post-campaign material down a stairway and I had an accident,” he says.

“That’s what happens when you miss your footing when your’re doing what you shouldn’t be doing – carrying stuff that is too heavy.

Although Mr Peters spent a number of days in hospital with the injury, he brushes it off saying nothing is wrong.

“I had an accident and it’s fine….I’m not here to give a private medical bulletin out.

I just bet those heavy campaign materials come in dozens and cardboard boxes. Andrew Williams was probably in close proximity taking out the empties.

National have a fresh crop of new MPs coming into parliament. The media have largely ignored them so here is some background from my perspective.

Mike Sabin: Northland

Mike won Northland bloody well, increasing John Carter’s majority by over a thousand votes. He was the only new candidate to increase his majority. An ex cop he has built a reputation fighting against P, a fight that needs to be had and few are willing to engage in. Regarded as being a solid rather than outstanding performer the election result means Mike deserves a closer look from the political pundits.

Mark Mitchell: Rodney

A real star on the international stage, Mark built a business in the Middle East that meant he was involved in major disaster recovery efforts around the globe, hostage negotiation and was decorated for bravery. Before that Mark was a police dog handler and has restricted use of his right arm after being attacked by a samurai sword. The only member of the new intake who has had media companies wanting to buy his life story. Won a bruising selection process, and soundly beat the Conservative leader Colin Craig in Rodney. Mark is a warm friendly guy who has the reputation for listening first, not talking non stop.

Maggie Barry: North Shore

Already a Whaleoil favourite for speaking her mind on Andrew Williams and telling Len that his railway won’t go ahead, Maggie comes to parliament with a positive reputation in the minds of the New Zealand public. Hopefully her career will be more successful than fellow media personality Pam Corkery, but this will depend on Maggie understanding the importance of listening before speaking, and that politics is a brutal game. If she doesn’t learn to listen with luck she will continue sledging Andrew Williams and stop the inner city loop.

Scott Simpson: Coromandel

Long time Whaleoil friend and National Party stalwart Scott has plenty of history in the party, though not all that history is necessarily working in his favour. Regarded as a little indiscrete, as a result there is a significant minority of caucus that simply doesn’t trust him, unfortunately for Scott that minority is called The Cabinet. Scott will need to do the hard yards on the backbenches to earn back the trust of caucus and cabinet.

Ian McKelvie: Rangitikei

Another Whaleoil favourite, Ian replaced Simon Power, so deserves thanks from all Whaleoil readers. He also has trenchant views on global warming and the ETS, views that may not be entirely consistent with political reality, even if they are entirely consistent with actual reality. Unfortunately for Ian he has probably left his run a bit late in life and faces the challenge that all Mayors face, going from being the boss to being a back bencher.

Paul Goldsmith: List

Bought into parliament on the list to save ACT. A former Auckland City Councilor who failed to beat Cathy Casey to get onto the supercity. Not regarded as having much talent as a vote winner, but a man with a formidable intellect who has made very good money as a contract historian writing biographies. Will be interesting to see if his time as a councilor has taught him that compromise is crucial in politics, as he was known to drive his peers to distraction with his adherence to politically pure views.

Alfred Ngaro: List

A good speaker, as is probably expected of a former pastor. Part of National’s ethnic outreach program, but with a track record in the pasifika community, and involvement in social services that mean he is not just a token. Will have three years to prove he deserves his list position, but expected to deliver as he has a history of achievement.

Jian Yang: List

Not particularly well known in National circles but has already been responsible for ensuring that donations start flowing after the gap left by Pansy Wong and her trust fund. Speaks better English than Pansy too. Jian Yang is part of National’s Asian outreach programme.

Maggie Barry has started well. Not only has she sledged the Clown of Campbells Bay but she has also told Len Brown to go fly a kite over his silly rail loop and Labour to get stuffed for using “holiday highway”.

Maggie Barry hit the ground running as the North Shore electorate’s first woman MP.

The morning after National’s resounding victory she sent a strong message to Auckland mayor Len Brown, saying there would be a CBD rail link before a second harbour crossing “over our dead bodies”.

And the former broadcaster also affirmed her support for the Puhoi-Wellsford motorway extension.

She attacked those who have labelled it the “holiday highway.

“I refuse to use the `H’ word. It will be an umbilical cord for the far north and its economy.

“It is an arrogance for the critics to take money already set aside for this purpose and use it for something else.”

From The NZ Herald about Andrew Williams:

“I’d make the prediction that within six months he would have disgraced himself down at [a local bar] with cheap booze. He’s got a problem and he’ll be in that sort of toxic environment [in parliament],” said Allan Trotter, 60.

Oh it is going to be fun. I might join the gallery and live in Wellington for 3 days a week.

Maggie Barry is in top form. Not only is she sledging hard the Clown of Campbells Bay but also the members of the nasty party who spat at her:

New National MP and former garden show host Maggie Barry says she may plant some lemon trees around Parliament for her fellow new North Harbour-based MP Andrew Williams.

After trouncing the field in the safe National seat of North Shore, she took a shot at Mr Williams, the NZ First candidate, noting that he will enter Parliament off the list despite gaining a paltry 828 votes in the electorate.

“I thought it was interesting for him to say on radio this morning that he would represent the North Shore when he didn’t get on either local boards nor the [Super City] mayoralty … and only got 828 votes this time.”

The broadcaster also said she might “plant some lemon trees and shrubbery” around the Beehive, a tongue-in-cheek reference to claims Mr Williams, when North Shore mayor, urinated on a tree outside the council offices.

Ms Barry’s easy victory followed a campaign with some nasty moments, including a woman spitting at her in a Devonport supermarket.
“I think there were a few people who had a sense-of-humour bypass … but being in the media made me accustomed to brickbats, not just bouquets. It comes with the territory.”

I heard that NZ First were going to make the Clown of Campbells Bay their spokesman for irrigation.

Are Labour hoping for a bounce by using John Key in their advertising instead Phil Goff?

Has anyone seen or heard from Phil Goff in the past 5 days?

Does anyone still care?

When will Don Brash realise no one, not even his missus, likes him or will vote for him?

Hone, two short planks or a sack of hammers?

When will someone in the media ask Winston about our $158,000?

When will someone point at Winston and go Ha-har, like Nelson Muntz?

How does Winston keep his toupe so neatly trimmed?

How much are the Green Parrot looking forward to three years of Winston and Andy Williams “eating” there every night?

How will Lianne cope with the competition?

New Zealand First has ditched a candidate who is a ex-SAS trooper who happens to drink his own urine:

New Zealand First has defended dumping an election candidate who drank his own urine on a TV show.

Joe Glenn, a 69-year-old former SAS soldier, had been standing for the party in the Rimutaka electorate, but was asked to withdraw his candidacy following his appearance on a 20/20 episode about extreme diets last month.

On the programme, Mr Glenn spoke about how drinking his urine each day had helped cure his arthritis, and then downed a glass for the cameras.

The episode did not refer to Mr Glenn’s New Zealand First candidacy, and did not discuss politics.

New Zealand First president Kevin Gardener today said he was not worried that getting rid of Mr Glenn would be seen as unfair.

The real kicker is the last paragraph:

“This time our candidates are being checked and double-checked, we don’t want any controversy, we’re staying squeaky clean.”

Really? Perhaps NZ First should Google “Clown of Campbells Bay“, or just check out my tag for the same title. While they are expunging the filth and creating a squeaky clean slate of candidates, what are they going to do about their corrupt leader?

Don Brash has, surprise, surprise, had a change of mind and has decided to stand in a seat.

ACT leader Don Brash has changed his mind about standing in an electorate and has picked North Shore as the place to do so.

The North Shore seat has already attracted media attention for National’s candidate choice of Maggie Barry, a political newcomer and former broadcaster.

Brash says Act’s board  persuaded him to stand on the Shore and seek the party vote, where it believes it has strong support.

”It’s a very important part of the country for us,” Brash said. ”Originally I planned not to stand in any electorate because I felt it was important to travel the countryside to encourage the party vote, and I’m still planning to do that.”

He says he would be delighted if people give the party and himself the tick at the election but  he is primarily after the party vote.

I think Don has had a brain embolism. He should have gone up against a deeply unpopular and ill Allan Peachey. He would have won Tamaki and broken the one seat hoodoo that besets small parties.

So in North Shore now we have Dry Don, Sopping Wet Maggie and The Soak.

via the tipline

A Mayor in New Mexico signed up million dollar plus contracts while intoxicated.

Ever have one of those nights where you wake up with a hangover and $1 million worth of architecture contracts?

No? Martin Resendiz (D), the Mayor of Sunland Park, New Mexico, certainly has.

According to court documents, Resendiz admitted in a June 2010 deposition that he was drunk when he signed nine contracts with the architectural design firm Synthesis+ for $1 million worth of work.

Resendiz said in the deposition that he signed the documents in May or June of 2008 at the local restaurant Ardovino’s after “a good two and a half, three hours” of drinking, Rene Romo of theAlbuquerque Journal reports (sub req).

“Again, this was after two or three hours of us drinking, not exactly the best time to do business, not exactly the best time to read over legal documents, which [Synthesis+ executive Daniel Soltero] did not portray at any time to be legal documents,” Resendiz said, according to a transcript of the deposition.

“The day I signed … I had way too much to drink. It was after 5 p.m. and I signed it (the contracts) and I didn’t know what I was signing,” Resendiz wrote as a response to questions from lawyers for the firm. “My sister had to pick me up.”

I hope Conor Roberts is keeping Len away from the booze. He might sign up contractors for his rail loop.

Clearly though Andrew Williams has been advising Mayor Resendiz.

Round one to Maggie Barry.

No pohutukawa is safe now Andrew Williams is running for election in the North Shore, National candidate Maggie Barry says.

The Clown of Campbells Bay, Andrew Williams has been caught in splashback after attempting to piss on Maggie.