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Goff moves to shore up Cosgrove's support

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Goff moves to shore up Cosgrove's support

3News NZ

Clayton Cosgrove

Clayton Cosgrove

By Peter Wilson, Political Writer

Labour leader Phil Goff heads to Christchurch on Thursday to shore up support in a seat his party could lose.

He's backing up Waimakariri MP Clayton Cosgrove in an electorate where National's private polling is understood to show cabinet minister Kate Wilkinson, a list MP in the last Parliament, is in the lead.

Christchurch is a Labour stronghold but some electorate boundaries have changed and the earthquake is having an impact on voter opinions - no party is sure what to expect.

He's also visiting railway workshops in Hillside, where there's strife over redundancies and the hiring of casual workers.

The Greens are wrapping up their campaign on Thursday in Auckland with a day to spare, confident their rise in the polls will carry through to election night.

Co-leaders Russel Norman and Metiria Turei will both speak at a Queen St theatre.

ACT leader Don Brash will wind up his party's Wellington region campaign at a restaurant in the capital - he has nothing to be confident about after a poll on Wednesday showed ACT support at 0.7 per cent, in line with other surveys which have it below the 1 per cent mark.

• Live updates from the election campaign – click here

Prime Minister John Key is spending the last two days of the campaign travelling around on National's campaign bus, taking a message to voters that the election result could be closer than they think.

Although National has a huge lead over Labour - 54 per cent against 26 per cent in Wednesday's poll - he's worried about complacency and is urging all the party's supporters to make sure they make it to the ballot boxes.

National's private polling shows its support at just below 50 per cent, TV3 reported on Wednesday night.

That doesn't stack up with most published polls which have it comfortably over 50 per cent and Mr Key may just be playing it safe.

NZN

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Comments

27/11/2011 5:32:24 p.m.

Becky wrote:

Are you people kidding? Clayton Cosgrove has been an extraordinary MP for the people of Waimakariri. He works so hard for the people here and I was proud to vote for him this year.

25/11/2011 12:00:32 a.m.

mikey wrote:

Cosgrove is a camera chaser, nothing more nothing less, A pity he is still on the list, he needs to get a real job.

24/11/2011 3:24:09 p.m.

DCM wrote:

Clayton is very good a making a loud noise and ignoring that disagree with him. He is an expert at blaming the current goverment for Labours past failed policies (witness what he had to say about the loss of 24 hour GP cover in Rangiora. That was a direct result of labour policy). He is also very good at getting his photo in the paper.I do not know what he has actually done for the electorate, and thats after living there all my life.

24/11/2011 11:17:24 a.m.

Chargone wrote:

my brother spends a decent amount of time in that area (lives out there half the week, actually) and of the people he's spoken to, the vast majority don't even know Kate Wikinson exists, and the rest only know her from one earthquake related meeting, and are not impressed because all she did was directly quote Jerry brownly, repeat his points in slightly different wording, or flat out say they should ask him. (he was also present, if i understand correctly) dubious boundary shifts may affect things, but i find it unlikely that Clayton Cosgrove will lose. (and if he does it'll be based on the absolutely Moronic logic that leads to people choosing who they want to represent them based on party affiliation rather than personal views and ability.)

24/11/2011 8:45:59 a.m.

Alex wrote:

Clayton Cosgrove has done a lot for the people of Canterbury particularly since the earthquake earlier this year. Kate Wilkinson has done very much nothing, except getting in the news for poor handling of her immigration portfolio. I hope the people of Waimakariri do the right thing and vote to keep Clayton, even if they choose a different party vote.

24/11/2011 8:41:02 a.m.

anne wrote:

Wilkinson was responsible for there being only one mines inspector,she changed the regulations,national have sat on their hands in chch,put in cera with regulations and rules that have stifled the people of chch from getting their lives sorted,and she's winning?