In terms of whether or not the time was right ~ I suspect that's a strategy that takes some effort in terms of party building, in which case a large enough party list vote across the country to elect some party list MP's would be intrinsically less likely in the first general election since forming the party.

Indeed, the success in holding the seat after the defection from the Maori Party is part of the foundation for that party building process, given the need to have confidence that votes below the 5% threshold wouldn't be "wasted" votes. In a setting where the Mana Party will be quite clearly and unambiguously in opposition to most of the government program, its going to be important going into 2014 that people believe Mana party voting will have as much chance of helping elect an anti-NatP MP as a LabP party list vote would do.


I've been accused of being a Marxist, yet while Harpo's my favourite, it's Groucho I'm always quoting. Odd, that.