TIMES - September 15, 2020

Page 1

Need nurturing childcare or rewarding work?

BOTANY

We’d love to chat to you today! – please contact Stephany on 0800 78 33 78 or stephany@stemsfromhome.co.nz

Call Eric Koh AREINZ

Mobile 021 388 383

5 Te Koha Rd, The Hub, Botany Phone 09 271 4421 Open 7 days: Mon-Sat 8.30am-5.30pm; Sun 10am-4pm.

• REPAIR • DESIGN • VALUE HANDLING YOUR JEWELLERY WITH EXPERIENCE AND CARE SINCE 1984

KC14837

JH15967-V2

Direct Freephone: 09 929 4433 E: e.koh@barfoot.co.nz www.barfoot.co.nz/e.koh

JH15993

Buying or Selling Houses?

www.stemsfromhome.co.nz

SC4107

09 534 7404 | 59 Picton Street, Howick villagejeweller.co.nz

O

COVID-19 UPDATE

AWARD-WINNING VOICE OF THE COMMUNITY – NZCNA Tuesday, September 15, 2020

Est. 1972

W

NE

D & OPERA

TE

D

We’re remaining at Level 2.5 for at least another week P16

General 09 271 8000  Classified 09 271 8055  Delivery Enquiries 09 271 8000  Website www.times.co.nz

Vol 49, No 31

EXCLUSIVE: Ross not contesting Botany seat By NICK KRAUSE

I

ndependent MP Jami-Lee Ross is not contesting the Botany seat in the General Election in October. The former National front bencher who fell out spectacularly with his party and the former National Party leader Simon Bridges and is also facing Serious Fraud Office charges, told the Times he will go on Advance NZ’s party list. He is also confident Advance NZ co-leader Billy Te Kahika will win the Maori seat which would ensure they get into parliament. Advance NZ has merged with several smaller parties which Ross likened to the successful approach adopted by Jim Anderton.

Simeon Brown

“We’re modelling it off the Alliance Party of the 1990s … several smaller parties came together as one bigger party so that they had more of an opportunity to campaign and reach parliament and they did ultimately reach parliament so that’s the model that we’re working on,” Ross said. “It became pretty apparent that I had to make a decision – do I run a nationwide campaign? I’m effectively doing that, I’m running a campaign, I’m assisting in training and selecting and recruiting candidates. I’m working very closely with Billy Te Kahika (leader of the NZ Public Party, Advance NZ co-leader with Ross and Te Tai Tokerau candidate) who is a political novice but is making big inroads into things and I wouldn’t be able to do that and also give the required time necessary to run for election properly here in Botany.” Ross said feedback he was getting suggested it would be three-way race for the Botany seat “because National’s considerably lower, Labour’s consider-

ably higher, I’ve got a profile in Botany too so it wasn’t a foregone conclusion for anyone”. “I do reject the view that some in the media and some political parties think that parties have safe seats and they never change. I think this would have been one of the most marginal seats in the country and Naisi Chen (standing for Labour in Botany), she’s getting up there as well. She’s a competitive individual, definitely in southern parts of Botany she’s working hard,” Ross said. “I had to make a call as to whether I could dedicate the time required to run for election in Botany properly. My strength of campaigning is also door-knocking face-to-face but you can’t do that during Covid so that’s been an interruption. “But in terms of contribution towards the country and the political party, I came to the view that my skills in terms of politics and campaigning were best suited to getting a new vehicle into parliament and working hard to ensure that a new political party (could get)

a foothold and building off the profile and building off the following that the NZ Public Party and Advance NZ are starting to see now.” Ross claims Advance NZ has established a significant digital footprint. “I know that many in the media, certainly down in parliament, write us off but on the ground, I’ve never seen a political party grow as fast as it has,” he said. “I’ve never seen the reach on social media like we’ve got in the last month. We reached 2 million people. In the last week we reached 1m people. Of course that’s not going to turn into votes entirely but that suggests to you the public are opening their eyes up to something new and something different.” Ross also reckons Te Kahika could roll Kelvin Davis, the deputy leader of the Labour Party, out of the Te Tai Tokerau seat in October. The thresholds for entry to parliament are to win one seat or win five per cent of the vote. ➤ Turn to page 5

We are dedicated to your personal well-being through dental health • Teeth whitening • All ceramic tooth filling materials using CerecAC omnicam, 3D technology • Permanent tooth replacements with dental implants • For gum health and maintenance call our hygienist Shelley Chadwick • All aspects of general dentistry

Your strong voice for Pakuranga Make the right choice about your dental care Authorised by S Brown, 120A Pakuranga Road, Pakuranga, Auckland.

KC14893

KC14835-V2

Rick Parfitt B.D.S. Dr Alex Lindsay B.D.S. Susan Clow B.D.S. Kathryn Fisk B.O.H. Shelley Chadwick R.D.H.

FREE DENTISTRY IS AVAILABLE FOR ALL YOUNG ADULTS Eligible from Year 9 until their 18th birthday. Contact us today to learn more.

Evening appointments available Call us now on 530 8461 E: info@whitforddental.co.nz Whitford Village, Whitford


Turn static files into dynamic content formats.

Create a flipbook
Issuu converts static files into: digital portfolios, online yearbooks, online catalogs, digital photo albums and more. Sign up and create your flipbook.
TIMES - September 15, 2020 by Times Media - Issuu