Opportunities to Act

Acandidate in September’s Parliamentary election says it’s a travesty he hasn’t been invited to speak alongside rivals for Coromandel.

Ōmokoroa Residents and Ratepayers Association is holding a “Meet The Candidates” evening at Settlers’ Hall on Friday 31st July.

Self-employed Hire-A-Hubby handyman Rob Hunter of Ōmokoroa, standing for The Opportunities Party, requested to join the discussion but was refused.

ORRA chair Bruce McCabe says the Association

only wants to hear from candidates of parties in Parliament already, polling above 1.5% on Friday 17th July.

Rob Hunter says it’s anti-democratic not to give a person a fair chance to say a few words. He now plans to hold his own “Meet Rob” gathering for interested locals.

ORRA says candidates from National (Scott Simpson), Labour (Nat Blomfield), Greens (Pamela Grealey) and Act (David Olsen) will be speaking. NZ First hasn’t confirmed a candidate. Provisionally, Michael Egleton is standing for the New

Conservative Party and Georgia Todd for the Outdoors Party. Neither has been invited.

In 2017, after National’s Scott Simpson (55.09%), Labour’s Nat Blomfield (20.85%), Greens’ Scott Summerfield (12.10%), and NZ First’s Anne-Marie Andrews (9.88%), the only minor party candidate in Coromandel was Ban 1080’s Clyde Graf (2.05%). The highest-polling minor party was The Opportunities Party with 1.71%, versus 0.41% for Act - almost identical to the 2014 candidate result of 0.43% achieved by David Olsen.