Election 2020: NZ First’s Shane Jones tells Northland – give me your votes and I’ll bring you recovery
Northland voters were told they would benefit financially and socially by returning NZ First to Government while every other party would turn its back on the region.
“Matt King – what has he ever done,” asked NZ First’s Shane Jones of his National Party opponent and the incumbent Northland MP. “What can he ever do?”
Jones called King an “obscure backbench MP” who was “irrelevant” in comments after a speech in which he talked for the financial benefits Northland – and other provincial areas – had enjoyed from the $3 billion Provincial Growth Fund, secured in coalition talks by NZ First.
It got personal quickly at the launch of Jones’ campaign for Northland where he made clear the contrast he would offer voters – the ability of NZ First to sit at Cabinet and shower benefits on its provincial supporters against decades of perceived neglect by Labour and National.
Where Jones is minister of regional economic development, King sits well down National’s list of MPs with responsibility for regional development only in the North Island, with an associate transport role.
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