‘No strong appetite’ for an early election, says new poll Colin Craig fails in his bid to get payout by Whale Oil

A public poll shows there is no strong appetite for an early election to test a new prime minister’s mandate, with 61 per cent rejecting the idea. However, 17 per cent think the country should go to the polls as soon as possible, while another 13 per cent think the new leader should seek a fresh mandate from the people within six months.The poll – conducted by Nielsen on the evenings of December 5, the day John Key announced his resignation, and December 6 – sampled 1016 people. Former Conservative Party leader Colin Craig’s attempts to bill Whale Oil blogger Cameron Slater for publishing his poem Two Of Me on his blog has failed. Craig was seeking $3000 for each month Slater published his poem on the blog site – along with a retraction and apology, plus damages. His total claim was $15,000. From Taxpayers Union founder Jordan Williams, who supplied Slater with a copy of the poem, Craig sought general and punitive damages totalling $8000.