Labour Wellington Central candidate Marian Hobbs said today she was confident that she would pick up many National votes in the electorate.

Marian Hobbs was commenting on confirmation today that National will not stand a candidate in Wellington Central.

"This has probably been the worst kept secret in politics so I am pleased that National has finally come clean," Marian Hobbs.

"I have already started running a vigorous campaign for both the electorate and party votes in Wellington Central. But there is now additional scope for seeking the electorate vote from National Party voters who want a strong representative locally. I will be reminding them that although their own party has let them down, they still have a choice and they shouldn't feel obliged to support Richard Prebble.

"Wellington Central voters from all parties are looking for a strong voice in Parliament on Wellington issues - be it street safety, the National Library, Radio New Zealand, human rights or Transmission Gully.

"They want an MP to concentrate on representing Wellington concerns as a primary focus. That's what I am promising to do," Marian Hobbs said.

Marian Hobbs said the placing of Wellington lawyer Stephen Franks at number 3 on Act's party list means that voters could end up with two Act MPs in Wellington Central.

"I predict that Wellington Central voters will be telling Richard Prebble to go back to Auckland where he belongs and where he spends most of his time anyway," Marian Hobbs said.

© Scoop Media

Gordon Campbell: On the Sony cyber attack

Given the layers of meta-irony involved, the saga of the Sony cyber attack seemed at the outset more like a snarky European art film than a popcorn entry at the multiplex.

Yet now with (a) President Barack Obama weighing in on the side of artistic freedom and calling for the US to make a ‘proportionate response’quickly followed by (b) North Korea’s entire Internet service going down, and with both these events being followed by (c) Sony deciding to backtrack and release The Interview film that had made it a target for the dastardly North Koreans in the first place, then ay caramba…the whole world will now be watching how this affair pans out. More>>