5 April 2002

"Jim Anderton is once again displaying sheer arrogance by claiming that he will increase his majority in Wigram at the next election," says National MP and Wigram candidate Alec Neill.

Mr Neill says Jim Anderton's comment - following his messy split from the Alliance earlier this week - that he has increased his majority in Wigram whatever party he has stood for is evidence of an out of control ego.

"Jim Anderton may be too smug and arrogant to realise it, but voters just don't like party hoppers," he explained.

"Winston Peters - whose ego is only slightly smaller than Anderton's - saw his huge majority in Tauranga slashed to the point where he almost lost the seat at the last election following the bust up of NZ First."

Mr Neill says that in 1996 Winston had a majority of 8028, but this was whittled down to only 63 at the 1999 election.

"Jim Anderton is counting his chickens and taking the voters in Wigram for granted. The people of Wigram are not fools and they can see by his antics that the only person Jim Anderton is interested in is Jim Anderton.

"I am interested in representing all of Wigram's voters and that is why National is running a strong and determined campaign to win this seat," Mr Neill concluded.

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