National promises no 'dirty politics' as Shane Jones looks forward to 'vigorous' Northland seat contest

June 11, 2020

The National and NZ First MPs joined Breakfast for the weekly Political Panel.

National MPs have denied allegations the party is holding a "dirty politics" campaign in Northland, where NZ First's Shane Jones is hoping to take the seat this election.

Incumbent Matt King beat NZ First leader Winston Peters for the seat last election and this time, the National MP will be up against Shane Jones.

Mr Jones has accused the party of planning a "dirty politics" campaign to keep the seat, but today says Mr King has given his word they'll stay clean.

"I bumped into Matt King the other day where he said to me, I give you my word, there's no dirty tricks campaign," Mr Jones told TVNZ 1's Breakfast today. 

"My remarks really related to what's happening with a small piece of legislation I'm shepherding through Parliament, where the foreign owners of the forestry sector have been selling and pedalling their mistruths to some of the backbenchers in the National Party. 

"So I put down fair warning, I'm a pugilist from the bible, do unto others as they'll do unto you."

National MP Paula Bennett is flatly denying the party is going to play dirty.

"There's no way, there's not a dirty campaign," she says.

"I think Shane's just trying to get a bit ahead of some of, you know, some of the stuff that's going on.

"But at the end of the day, we just want to run a straight campaign up there."

She's confident Mr King will win on his own merits, saying he's "absolutely awesome".

"He gets around, he understands that community, he fights for it. So I'm backing him on his own merits."

The Northland seat could be vital to whether NZ First returns to Parliament or not. The most recent 1 NEWS-Colmar Brunton poll places NZ First's party vote at 2.9 per cent, below the 5 per cent threshold, meaning the party would need to win an electorate seat to re-enter Parliament.

National MP Matt King.

With the election now just 100 days away, both parties are getting ready for battle.

"I'm looking forward, along with my other Parliamentary colleagues, to a vigorous and tough contest," Mr Jones says.

"We'll get out there and put our options before the people, and do it in such a way that we don't smear or taint the value of a democratic campaign in the Far North."

The election will take place on Saturday, 19 September.

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