Oh wow! In case you missed it, there are reports circulating that Mark Osbourne presided over $700,000 worth of losses in his role as general manager of the Te Ahu centre.

I thought National was supposed to be the party of business expertise and financial competency?

Fourteen million dollars of ratepayer money went into funding the centre. Under Osbourne, it’s lost five percent of that straight up. That’s running-into-the-ground territory.

And what does Osbourne have to say for himself when asked to front up and explain to Northlanders whee their money’s gone?

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Apparently, that National candidates shouldn’t be interviewed before by-elections.

Given his abominable performance on Q&A on Sunday, this gagging shouldn’t come as any surprise.

But seriously. Between this and Mark Sabin’s alleged offending (which by now pretty much everyone seems to know about one way or another), I’m left open-mouthed and asking the quite pertinent question … with all these skeletons dancing out of each man’s closet, WHO THE BLOODY HELL IS IN CHARGE OF THE VETTING PROCESS FOR NATIONAL’S NORTHLAND CANDIDATES?!

All of this is, of course, going to do absolutely no harm whatsoever to Winston’s chances.

As a result, i’m in the hella-weird position of agreeing totally with Patrick Gower’s analysis.

When “National [loses] this seat on Saturday, it will be the biggest political blow that John Key has suffered since he became leader of the National Party and in his whole time as Prime Minister.”

So get out there and LET’S MAKE IT HAPPEN!