Key highlights opportunism by attending party conference

John Key's planned appearance today at Peter Dunne's Party Conference will achieve nothing except to remind voters of the unprincipled political deal the two are seeking to make, Labour's Ohariu Candidate Charles Chauvel says.

"John Key is unwilling to share a debate platform with Peter Dunne, nor with any other minor party leader, during the election campaign", Charles Chauvel said.
"Yet he is willing to address the annual conference of a political party which has minimal support.

"According to opinion polls, many more New Zealanders believe that Elvis Presley is still alive than are likely to vote for United Future in 3 months time. It would be surprising if the Party even has the minimum statutory requirement of 500 members.

"This appearance is simply a cynical attempt to cast a cloak of approval around Peter Dunne so that National voters can overcome their instinctive revulsion at the idea of voting for him.

"But the last time that John Key told National voters in Ohariu to give Peter Dunne their electorate vote - in 2008 - over 9000 of them defied him because they could not bring themselves to vote for someone who doesn't actually stand for anything.

"In 3 months' time, when voters go to the polls, John Key's visit to Peter Dunne's conference will be a distant memory. Instead, voters will remember that Peter Dunne has been in office for over 27 years, been a member of at least 4 different political parties over that time, and achieved very little.

"I'm confident that Ohariu voters won't be duped by this move. All the feedback I have received is that they are gearing up to choose fresh energy and enthusiasm on November 26th, and to reject Peter Dunne and John Key's cynical attempt to deprive them of choice".

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