The final vote count is in and National’s traitor, Denise Lee has lost her seat and exits parliament. A fitting end for her treachery in the final days of the campaign.
Backstabber of the day. Denise Lee MP for Maungakiekie
The specials massively favoured the left. The margin between left and right was only 12% on E-Day votes, a larger 26% on advance votes and a massive 38% on specials. Labour won 54.12% of the specials and National only scored 19.8%.
There were some big changes:
- Labour gains one List MP
- National loses two List MPs
- Maori Party gains a List MP
- National loses Northland, Whangarei and Maungakiekie
- Matt King and Denise Lee out of Parliament
- Shane Reti now a List MP
- Maureen Pugh and Nick Smith safe, due to King and Lee losing
- Cannabis referendum lost
- Euthanasia referendum passed
This just goes to show the damage caused to National by the failure of the Muller/Kaye coup. That occurred before voting opened. The slow erosion of Simon Bridges‘ leadership consumed a few weeks, then there was the six weeks of the failed coup leaving Judith Collins with an impossible task.
National really needs to come up with a strategy to counter the special votes.
It was a special kind of stupid for Denise Lee and her henchman Mark Mitchell to do what they did. Thankfully she is now gone. Perhaps she will find a sixth party to represent.
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