11pm on the big night
Just past 11pm on election night and the result is very close. Looks like Labour have the numbers but who knows. A hijacked plane threatened to fly into the Sky Tower and crashed into Auckland harbour. Jenny Shipley appeared on TV with chunky black specs, a leopard skin coat, and purple hair. It has been another strange evening.

I am proud to say I think I may have got the highest number of electorate votes of any Alliance candidate (251) in Dunedin North. Chris Ford came second for the electorate vote in NZ with 177.

The Alliance vote was tiny nationally. This is not surprising; with all the talk of tactical voting I think many of our voters went to Labour and Greens.

We've been having a small party round at my parents which has seen the local team come round for a few drinks to watch the fun. Thanks to Julie, Eunice, Harry, Chris, Kay, Marvin, Robert, Gail, Keith, David, Elaine, and the students from Mystertron Logan, Dan and David. As Logan said, a lot more people agree with our ideas than voted for us, simply because of the close election.

Good on all the team for keeping the voice of the true left alive. The Alliance was the only party to highlight casualization, the need for public control of electricity, and free education.

The next year will be a very interesting time. Bird flu, the collapse of the American economy, or oil hitting $9000 a barrel: whoever gets to be Government will be dealing with some very strange currents. All the more need for a principled voice on the left.
- posted by Victor @ 11:12 PM