Here's a selection of some of the more interesting and insightful tweets in reaction to the Northland by-election results. The most recent tweets are first.
Matthew Hooton @MatthewHootonNZ
debacle An event or enterprise that ends suddenly and disastrously, often with humiliating consequences. http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/debacle #northvote
Matthew Hooton @MatthewHootonNZ
humiliation The state of being humiliated, humbled or reduced to lowliness or submission. #northvote
Belinda McCammon @BelMcCammon
An election loss for the Nats, does this raise the stakes on the outcome of the flag referendum (aka Key's legacy)? #northvote
The overall right->left swing in Northland is roughly 10,000 votes. That's a lot of votes to lose in less than 6 months. #northvote
Andrew Campbell @Andr3wCampbell
Northland result shows tide is turning on @NZNationalParty and @johnkeypm. And @stevenljoyce has gone from Mr Fix It to Mr Fail It #disaster
Now, let's hold the Gallery to account: who will be the first to get the quote "I'm just happy to be the MP for Northland"? #NorthVotes
Osborne yet to concede as John Key not returning his calls.. #NorthVote
Belinda McCammon @BelMcCammon
The #northvote turnout looks pretty legal. #joycelegacy
Has there ever been a 13,000 electorate vote swing within 6 months? #northvote #nzpol
Brent Edwards @rnzgallerybrent
This is big win for Peters and a message for National. But no party vote so can't jump to conclusions.
Holly Wallbank @hollywallbank
Winston doing what Winston does best, causing general mayhem and chaos in NZ politics
It's almost like people don't like naked bribery mixed with thinly veiled threats! #northvotes
I wonder if the first item on the agenda is figuring out how to make those new bridges look a little more 'Miami'. #Northland
I bet the Nats are really happy with their strategy of supporting Sabin last election now #NorthlandByelection #Northland
Seems like "I've got a bridge to give you" is actually equivalent to "I've got a bridge to sell you".
Grant Robertson @grantrobertson1
Shellacking complete for National. A humiliating loss for Key and Joyce. Will the ten bridges go down as the worst election move ever in NZ?
Andrew Little @AndrewLittleMP
Congratulations to Winston Peters for his convincing victory in Northland tonight.
Damian Christie @damianchristie
I've never seen so many urban liberals celebrating a Winston Peters' victory...
Well done to the Electoral Commission, who had a target tonight of counting 50% of the polling places in the #NorthlandByelection by 9 pm.
Not to take away from Winston but humiliation for National in an ultra safe seat is commentary on directionless and out of touch Nat govt.
Hey, Northland, looks like you're not getting those 2-lane bridges now. In fact, they might even start removing ones that are already there.
Probably a good thing the Air Force no longer has a strike capability, or National might start removing bridges tonight ;-)
Key avoids bowling at the death. Throws ball to Joyce. 'You bloody try.'
Northland has spoken... #govtgetsabloodynose
Kim Baker Wilson @kimbakerwilson
Worst moment for the National Party since the 2002 General Election? #landslide #northvotes
1,296 specials taken (but not counted, not even opened tonight) should include votes taken at Registrar of Electors offices around NZ
Might be best now if the prime minister could declare that the Black Caps have "zero chance" of winning the World Cup.
Grant Robertson @grantrobertson1
Staggered that John Key is not with Osborne in Northland. Who was telling who to show some guts recently? #Northland
> Matthew Hooton @MatthewHootonNZ
@grantrobertson1 He doesn't like funerals.
> Annette King. @annetterongotai
@MatthewHootonNZ @grantrobertson1 but perhaps he is arranging his own political one with gutless behaviour.
Kim Baker Wilson @kimbakerwilson
Key earlier this month: "It's critical that National holds the seat"… "We need Mark's vote" #northvote https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lippcxrLFtY&feature=youtu.be …
If a government, left or right, is so arrogant to think they have safe seats that they can neglect & forget, this proves how wrong they are.
From >9000 vote majority six months ago to a 3000+ vote loss today is a stunning turnaround for the blue team.
Dear Mark. Sorry you lost. Can't talk right now, busy schoomzing with cricket folk. If Black Caps lose I'ld drop them like a hot potato too.
Sabin got 52.74 % of vote in Northland in 2014. Peters could top that on current trend.
This could be the turning point. The Teflon has well and truly worn off Key. It's all down hill here now for National
Joshua Hitchcock @jcphitchcock
Maybe, just maybe, this rotten, crony-capitalist, win & all costs Government will reassess where it is heading.
I wonder how long Winston will wait until he annexes Northland and makes it is fiefdom? End of the month?
Labour's Northland grandees overt display of support for @winstonpeters sign of closer, more functional ties between the two parties?
Patrick Gower @patrickgowernz
Winston Peters has dealt John Key and National a huge blow. A thrashing, humiliation for National. #NorthVote
Will de Cleene @ZippyGonzales
Campaign manager on $250K a year and still can't win a safe seat?
Last election, some Labour voters strayed right to NZ First. Will Little come to regret giving Winston this platform?
Joshua Hitchcock @jcphitchcock
Northland, WHAT HAVE YOU DONE!!!
Fuck me, what a drubbing.
I hereby relinquish my (self-awarded) title as New Zealand Best Next Top Political Pundit. (https://kiwipollguy.wordpress.com/2015/03/28/northland-by-election/ …)
First time NZF have won an electorate seat for 13 years. Will feel so very sweet after 05 Tauranga loss. Have proven considerable resilience
I am cheerfully suspicious of what went on behind the scenes in this by-election. SOMEONE turned out a ton of left-wing voters for Peters
> Graeme Edgeler @GraemeEdgeler
@danylmc could it have been National, transporting voters who'd usually support them, but mistaking how they intended to vote this time?
Jordan McCluskey @prinnbanktce
Oh to be in the cabinet room on Monday.
Matthew Hooton @MatthewHootonNZ
.@stevenljoyce will be busy preparing PowerPoint prez for caucus on Tuesday, showing everyone to blame but him.No questions will be allowed.
Let's have a competition about how John Key will underplay the imminent "staggering loss" of #northvote
@clarecurranmp look at the end of the day it didn't matter and there's nothing to read into this...like that then?
@Dovil @FoxyLustyGrover @clarecurranmp All the fault of anti-american leftie conspiracy theorists
Matthew Hooton @MatthewHootonNZ
What began in #Napier with @Stuart_NashMP continues in #Northland with @winstonpeters - @NZNationalParty losing touch with provinces. #nzpol
Will de Cleene @ZippyGonzales
Fake Muldoon no substitute for Real Muldoon. #LessonsfromNorthland
I know its Winston and he's a racist sexist bastard but oh my, can I enjoy this just a little bit?
Woah there. ALCP has surged out to 52, ahead of ACT on 43 and Mana on 44. #NorthlandByelection
Marie McNicholas @MarieMcNicholas
NZ's conservative and seemingly bullet-proof National Govt headed for humiliating defeat in by-election in blue-ribbon seat of Northland.
No bridges over troubled waters for the Nats tonight.
Jordan McCluskey @prinnbanktce
I said I would shave my hair off and be nice about NZF for the rest of 2015 if Winston won. I will keep my word. I have honour. And hubris..
Nats should have stood Aaron Gilmore in Northland.
Looks like the Zombie towns have decided it was 12 bridges too many ... And too late.
Will love to see someone work out the swings and compare - this is a massive FU from the left
I guess Novopay and the tertiary education sector can feel slightly better now - they're not @stevenljoyce's only failures
The most shocking thing about Northland is that left-wing voters appear to have understood strategic voting
Labour candidate currently on 4.5% of the vote #NorthlandByelection . Rekkin they've got the hang of this tactical voting thing
Turnout last four byelections: Chch East: 13726, Ikaroa-Rāwhiti: 11268, Te Tai Tokerau: 12339, Botany: 15421. Northland at 16701 #NorthVote
If the election film doesn't start with Key's 'No Chance' quote and then crash zoom to a 28 DAYS LATER title, I will be disappointed #nzpol
Hey, The Left - this is what happens when you vote strategically #NorthlandByelection
Martyn Bradbury @CitizenBomber
So when Andrew Little brought Winston's age in as a negative at the beginning and Key said he had zero chances of winning... awkward
Martyn Bradbury @CitizenBomber
Someone call the Police, a 69 year old Maori chap is beating the living crap out of a pakeha bloke up north
Martyn Bradbury @CitizenBomber
This has got to be the worst by-election campaign I have ever witnessed - National stand to lose an electorate they've had for 7 decades
Stephanie Rodgers @bootstheory
Seriously, if this goes the way it's going I'm hoping to hear less moaning about NZ voters not understanding MMP strategy. #nzpol
National Party machine should've given them an advantage with getting out early vote. But not so much, huh? #northvote
NZ Needs Honest GOVT @Colin_R_Gale
@CitizenBomber Most of the National Supporters were late to the Polling Booths due to One Lane Bridge related traffic delays
National won 52.74% of the candidate vote in September. Currently Mark Osborne is on 41.22% while Winston Peters has 52.54% #northlandvotes
Jessica Williams @mizjwilliams
Meanwhile ACT's candidate Robin Grieve kicking all kinds of arse with 25 votes so far.
By this count Winston Peters is the new Prime Minister of NZ.
Jordan McCluskey @prinnbanktce
Oh fuckery.
Nobody comes back from a beating like this. All over bar Winston's epic acceptance speech #northvote
Will de Cleene @ZippyGonzales
Blood on the carpet at the next Cabinet meeting then.
Martyn Bradbury @CitizenBomber
Early booths coming in are rural polls - should be favouring National sternly - they are not #northvote
Grant Robertson @grantrobertson1
This has the makings of a right shellacking. #Northland
Winston is comfortably ahead at 8pc,and of these are advance votes being counted then the Nats are totally fucked #northvote
Since 1985 same party or same person has always held seat after by-election #rtpt
Matthew Hooton @MatthewHootonNZ
Early results in #Northland suggest @NZNationalParty won't just be beaten but humiliated. #nzpol http://electionresults.govt.nz/electorate-35.html …
Last time a seat changed hands in a by-election was 30 yrs ago (Timaru following Basil Arthur's death)
