Nats could lose election, Key warns

Lease

Nats could lose election, Key warns                By Peter Wilson, Political Writer, NZ Newswire                        Updated June 28, 2014, 4:52 pm

Delegates at National's annual conference have been told four times on the first day that their party could easily lose the election.

Prime Minister John Key, party president Peter Goodfellow and campaign manager Steven Joyce all rammed home the message - unless there's a full turnout of National supporters on September 20 there's a real risk of being beaten by a cobbled-together, left-wing coalition.

"This isn't a head-to-head race with Labour," Mr Key said.

"There's no reason all the parties against us can't hold hands and beat us."

He told 600 delegates that in 2011 voter turnout dropped in 12 of National's seats.

"If that happens again we could easily find ourselves on the opposition benches."

Mr Goodfellow, in his opening remarks and in his speech to the conference on Saturday, told activists they had to make a huge effort to bring out National's voters.

"The alternative is scary - a fragmented left-wing coalition is a real risk."

Mr Joyce, a senior cabinet minister, urged delegates to disregard polls which are showing National well ahead of Labour.

"There's 84 days to go and anything can happen," he said.

"Don't take any comfort from the polls, because you can't."

National won 47.3 per cent of the party vote in 2011, its best-ever achievement, and Mr Joyce said it had to aim for at least 48 per cent this time.

"In 2011 too many people thought it was a foregone conclusion and went to the beach," he said.

The party leaders are worried National's voters will only see the huge gap between the two main parties and disregard the potential for Labour, the Greens, NZ First and Internet Mana to hold a majority if they all get together.

Mr Goodfellow says National is going to run a "good, old-fashioned campaign" to try to make sure that doesn't happen.

"No door will be left un-knocked, no letter box empty, no fence without a hoarding."

Mr Key will make his main speech to the conference on Sunday.

He's going to announce a major campaign policy, but he's ruled out tax cuts.

Lease

大家都要积极地去投票啊，不能想当然的认为National 已经稳操胜券了。

NewLynnHse

Nat输了会有什么后果？不过这次看工党党魁的表现，觉得他们应该很难赢。

阿海

一定投国家党。