SOUTH IGNORED
SOUTHERN voters have every right to feel neglected during the 2017 campaign, with few visits by the two leaders of the major parties, Prime Minister Bill English and Labour leader Jacinda Ardern.
Mr English visited Dunedin once on August 18 to announce (or reannounce) the building of a new $1.4 billion hospital through publicprivate partnerships.
A week later, Ms Ardern arrived to announce the building of a new hospital from capital expenditure, no publicprivate partnership from Labour.
Ms Ardern also visited the city last Friday, causing a major stir at the university and Taieri High School with crowds turning out to see her.
Dunedin was not the only place to miss out.
Mr English visited Invercargill, Queenstown and Wanaka once.
Ms Ardern does not appear to have visited Invercargill, Queenstown or Wanaka — or any other centre in Otago and Southland — this election.
There have been some other passersby and National Party list MP and Immigration Minister Michael Woodhouse took umbrage with the claims the city had been neglected by the Government.
Plenty of his colleagues had visited the city during the year and Mr English had visited Dunedin more than former prime minister Sir John Key; they just had not talked to the
Otago Daily Times political editor, Mr Woodhouse said in a conversation.
‘‘Taking your logic, we could have neglected Dunedin for the last three years and crammed visits in during the election campaign and that would have been better. I don’t think so.’’
National had more volunteers in Dunedin North and Dunedin South during this election than in any time in his previous two campagins, and possibly nine years when Katherine Rich was a Dunedin National list MP.
‘‘I’m very happy with the way we have been going along.’’
Dunedin North MP David Clark said Ms Ardern had visited ‘‘every second or third week of her leadership’’, although that was still only twice.
Dunedin had a strong history of Labour representation and that was expected to continue. Dr Clark had 360 new volunteers in Dunedin North this election and last weekend the team made 2600 phone calls.
‘‘In living memory, that number blows every other out of the water.’’
Back to the actual campaign: on September 9, Housing and Social Investment Minister Amy Adams visited Dunedin to announce a new housing programme to support Dunedin youth.
The Government will provide around $666,000 over the next two years to fund accommodation and service delivery costs for this programme.
She also announced the freeing up of Crown land in Queenstown for housing development.
Ms Adams, also Justice Minister, took time for a photo opportunity at the Dunedin Court House, which is undergoing refurbishment.
Deputy Prime Minister Paula Bennett dropped in to make a speech as Tourism Minister at a tourism conference; she had a cheese roll at Balclutha and cooked up a treat in Invercargill, failing to talk to any media on her way through.
Finance Minister Steven Joyce and Labour finance spokesman Grant Robertson spoke at a finance debate in Queenstown, along with some other politicians.
Mr Robertson then came to his former stomping ground of Dunedin to campaign on behalf of Dunedin South MP Clare Curran and run a fundraising auction at his former school, King’s High School.
Labour water issues spokesman David Parker, who spends part of his time in Dunedin, spoke at a public meeting on Tuesday night.
And that voters, is that. Mr Joyce, a regular visitor to Dunedin, has not graced the city with his presence during the campaign. Mr English did attend the Otago Daily Times Class Act function in early August and spoke to a sports function later in the day.
Of the minor parties, Greens leader James Shaw has been in Dunedin twice. New Zealand First leader Winston Peters has been once during the campaign.
However, the prize for the most visits goes to The Opportunities Party leader Gareth Morgan, who has been in the city four times, speaking to large crowds each time.
The situation is different for Christchurch, where there are plenty of votes going begging.
National will contribute another $120 million towards the building of a new multiuse arena in Christchurch if elected for a fourth term.
The Government has already committed $59 million to the project, taking the total to $179 million.
Also, the Government will pay $200,000 to help repair the historic Christchurch pumphouse building.
Mr English attended a groundbreaking ceremony at Lincoln University and AgResearch and opened the South Island ICT graduate school.
The Government is providing funding for advanced genomic research, spending $98.3 million on social housing and helping advance a transitional housing plan.
The rebuilding of the Christchurch Cathedral will take place with a $15 million nonrepayable loan from the Government and a $10 million Crown contribution.
Ms Ardern pledged a
$300 million capital fund for Christchurch if her party gets into government. It was up to the city where the money was spent, but a Labour government will have to sign it off.
Canterbury Employers Chamber of Commerce chief executive Peter Townsend said the city stood to benefit from an ‘‘auction’’ between National and Labour in the close election race
There is no doubt Christchurch has been hurt hard by earthquakes but at some stage, the focus on the damaged city and how many services can be transferred there needs to stop.