Today's announcement by John Key and Peter Dunne that they will cooperate after the election if National is in a position to form a government amounts to an attempt to deny voters in Ohariu a choice, says Labour List MP and 2008 Ohariu Candidate Charles Chauvel.

"John Key's comments that National voters should concentrate on the Party Vote in Ohariu are a repeat of what happened in 1996 when National did not contest the electorate in order to ensure Peter Dunne's re-election", said Chauvel. "Voters who remember that election will not take kindly to another attempt by National to take away their choice at this election".

"A Vote for Peter D is a vote for John Key", says Charles Chauvel.

"The announcement is notable not only for cutting the ground out from under the local National Party candidate", said Chauvel. "It represents a cynical and self-serving attempt by Peter Dunne to seek a lease in perpetuity on a ministerial office. He will say that this is about principle. But that is nonsense. Peter Dunne doesn't care who's PM, as long as he still gets to ride in a Ministerial BM", Chauvel said.

Charles Chauvel predicted that Ohariu voters would express their disgust at the Dunne/Key deal by turning increasingly to Labour over the final 12 days of the campaign. "I think we will see an increase in the nearly 15,000 Party Votes Labour got last time. I am certain that in the electorate vote, there will be a corresponding increase in the over 9,000 votes cast for me last time as the Labour candidate. As a result of today's announcement, Labour and Chauvel are the only real choices for change in Ohariu at this coming election.

"The voters will see through this. Today's deal will go the same way as Peter Dunne's ill-fated cup of coffee with Don Brash before the last election", Charles Chauvel predicted.

ENDS

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