1980: East Coast Bays Buy-election
September 6, 2018
By AHNZ
Today in History: East Coast Bays Buy-election, 6 September 1980 (yes, that is the correct Anarchist History spelling).
Triggered by Prime Minister Muldoon sending his buddy to a foreign post, hence vacating this seat on Auckland’s North Shore.
A shock for the ruling National Party: Defeat of their candidate, Don Brash! To the upstart party, Social Credit, no less. The Prime Minister was blamed for this fiasco, especially since he was away on offshore engagements at the time. Specifically, India.
While still overseas, Muldoon’s underlings sprung the ‘Colonel’s Coup’ in an attempt to overthrow their leader. That wasn’t going to work out so well for them when Rob Juggernaut Muldoon got home.
Brash never won a seat but 20yrs later would enter the House as a List MP and lead The National Party. Next, he led the ACT Party. I wouldn’t be at all surprised if he were to lead yet another political party by the next election.
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note: Interesting case of history repeating. In June 2018 another North Shore electorate (Northcote) was vacated by National but they won it back. In September 2018 the Prime Minister is abroad for a forum with our neighbours.
Image Ref. nzonscreen.com
2 thoughts on "1980: East Coast Bays Buy-election"
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Looking at your site in January 2025 as have fond memories of Muldoon as a child and upset a tutor by saying I thought his Think Big idea still had merit (2006 at the Naturopathic College of NZ). Fortunately she liked my mother and had been my tutor for Chemistry at Taranaki Polytechnic during my nursing studies in the 80s.
Most recently I was retraining at UCOL Polytechnic and was told I was Arcadian, Contrarian & Anarchiacal and various other long words so embracing the Anarchist in me and revisiting childhood memories.
Wondering how well the Chinese Bitumen will fair now our last potential manufacturer has shut up shop.
Muldoon wanted NZ to be self-sufficient due to isolation and supply line issues. Guessing that’s not going to be a popular opinion… Or will it and just be rebranded as say Fast Track a repackaging of Jacinda’s COVID Recovery Emergency Plan ( the oh crap we have stalled in dead waters bill)
So just listened to 6 months in a leaky boat, read it’s history ( banned by BBC) wonder how much longer we’ll be lead around by the nose by international interests. Winston doing some interesting stuff especially last speech before break. As everyone scrambles to do submissions for the Treaty Principles Bill still others have fallen by the wayside.
A Māori friend was wary as was I “this feels like a distraction”.
It’ll be interesting to see what history decides
Thanks for that. Naturopaths For Muldoon not a thing? Go figure. 😉