The first South Islander on United Future’s list which was announced yesterday is Robin Loomes in Port Hills at number 11.
He’s a statistician so no doubt he’ll be able to work out that at current polling which puts UF at .5% the odds of him getting in to parliament and his party having a South Island MP are well below the margin of error.
Given that polling I suppose it’s irrelevant because they’re unlikely to have more than one MP anyway. But the party’s best ever result was eight MPs (in 2002) so it would have been a better look to have a token South Islander in the first eight.
People who say MMP is more representative obviously aren’t talking about geographical representation.
The complete list is:
1. Hon Peter Dunne MP, Leader – (Ohariu)
2. Judy Turner MP, Deputy Leader – (East Coast)
3. Denise Krum – (Maungakiekie)
4. Graeme Reeves – (Wairarapa)
5. Pulotu Selio Solomon – (Mangere)
6. Murray Smith – (Hutt South)
7. Neville Wilson – (Mt Roskill)
8. Frank Owen – (Palmerston North)
9. Janet Tuck – (Epsom)
10. Karuna Muthu – (Rongotai)
11. Robin Loomes – (Port Hills)
12. Greg Graydon – (Tamaki)
13. Damian Light – (North Shore)
14 Vanessa Roberts – (Wigram)
15. Aaron Galey-Young – (Auckland Central)
16. Ian McInnes – (East Coast Bays)
17. Kelleigh Sheffield-Cranstoun – (Waimakariri)
18. Brian Ward – (Rangitata)
19. Vaughan Smith – (Wellington Central)
20. Jim Stowers – (Manurewa)
21. Bryan Mockridge – (Papakura)
22. Jayati Prasad – (List only)