Politics in the Horan household are closed for the time being as NZ Independent Coalition leader Brendan Horan and his party 'grieve” a disappointing 2014 general election.
Saturday night's results gave the party a resounding ‘No' from the public, with 895 votes nationwide – ending Brendan's troubled three years in parliament.
NZ Independent Coalition leader Brendan Horan.
Brendan received 1153 votes for his candidacy for the Bay of Plenty seat, placing him fifth and well behind new MP Todd Muller, 20,013, Labour's Clare Wilson, 5884, NZ First's Ray Dolman, 4180, and Conservative's Deborah Cunliffe, 1211.
Brendan, speaking to SunLive from Wellington, is disappointed by the result but concedes the Bay of Plenty has spoken and he accepts that.
'I wanted to help the Bay of plenty and people in the Bay and Tauranga. I have managed to help people in the last three years and wanted to continue to do that.
'I wanted to drive the Bay of Plenty ahead of everybody else, giving them an MP that would work just for them. The message was clear that they don't necessarily want me to do that.”
Elected into Parliament in 2011 as NZ First list MP, Brendan was later expelled from the party caucus in December 2012, serving the remainder of his term on the back benches as an independent MP.
During this time he faced a barrage of accusations and legalities, including being sued for $300,000 for defamation by former flat mate Colin Henderson, and battling allegations he took money from his late mother's estate.
Giving his heartfelt appreciation to the NZIC team, Michael O'Neill and Pat Spellman, the former ONE News weatherman says it takes guts for someone to put themselves out there and stand to improve the lives of others, including himself.
'They have a right to feel disappointed but disappointment is only temporary.
'For me politics is closed in the Horan household.”
He is currently in Wellington trying to secure jobs for his staff.
Along with helping his parliamentary staff secure future employment, Brendan is offering any advice to new MPs about the 'brutal place” that can be parliament.
'There are a lot of new MPs, they made need some help and I'm happy to offer them some words of advice or help out.
'Because when people go into politics I firmly believe they go in with a genuine intent to help people.”
Pat Spellman, who unsuccessfully ran for NZIC in the Wairiki seat, says he will not rule out standing again in 2017.
'I have yet to consider all options just yet – for now, I've got a Rena to remove and a city to make Te Reo friendly – that'll do me for the rest of the year."
13 comments
On hold?
Posted on 23-09-2014 11:08 | By YOGI BEAR
More like buried now, the result was very minimal, there is only one place that this result can now "rest in peace" I think.
Known for getting things wrong?
Posted on 23-09-2014 11:40 | By How about this view!
He was a weatherman after all!
Sad
Posted on 23-09-2014 13:25 | By sojourner
I wish Brendan Horan all the best, he's had a rough deal and I believe is a genuinely nice person. Maybe he should try again in the next election, if he wants to, when most of the muck has washed away in the sea of forgetfulness.
Bad news for Brendan Good news for us
Posted on 23-09-2014 15:18 | By The Sage
You can have a holiday until the end of the year Brendan, probably on full pay, before you have to get a real paid job.
Give it up
Posted on 23-09-2014 17:15 | By Taffy
Face facts Horan your history. Just quietly disappear into the distance and give us all a break.
Should not have happened...
Posted on 23-09-2014 19:36 | By groutby
That it was possible in the first place for Brendan Horan to be able to continue to waste taxpayers time and money in Parliament after leaving the NZ First party as a list MP...if he was an elected member,then totally different in my view.
Facing Reality
Posted on 24-09-2014 07:12 | By Thoughtful
Whilst Mr Horan may feel disappointed in the election result it is probably of no surprise to the rest of us as the reality is that he never had the support of the electorate having only made it to the Beehive on NZF coat tails. Would be interesting to have more specific details on the 'help' that he has provided to the people of the Bay and Tauranga over the past 3 years? Unlike Sojourner I would not be encouraging him to try again at next elections as the public has definitely spoken this election and answer is unlikely to be any different in 3 years.
Stone Throwers
Posted on 24-09-2014 11:33 | By michael.oneill@nzindependent.org.nz
Those who throw stones from the sideline in the hope of scoring a hit, who hide behind fictitious names, earn little respect from this writer. Mr Horan stood his ground amidst false allegations, an undemocratic leader and writers who called for his resignation given he was a list MP. Be reminded that we have in Parliament and led by that same leader, 11 MP's and not a single one is an elected electorate MP serving the interests of a specified community or electorate. Another party under a green banner are the same and there is nothing they can do other than throw stones from the sideline. This reader's is the real waste of tax payers money.
Changes need to be made
Posted on 24-09-2014 11:48 | By The Sage
Why hasn't the Government made a law that if a List MP jumps ship or is pushed that they are no longer a MP? I cannot understand why this has not been changed by now.
@ The Sage
Posted on 26-09-2014 00:08 | By YOGI BEAR
Most likely have so don't want to be evicted that easily when they do what they want to.
goodbye
Posted on 26-09-2014 07:18 | By Captain Sensible
@ groutby; you are totally correct. Horan was not entitled to be an MP after being fired by NZF. To call himself an "Independent" was an insult to democracy. Now democracy has shown him the door. He will not be missed.
@The Sage
Posted on 03-10-2014 19:50 | By T Swanson
There was a law but it lapsed in 2005 and no-one seems interested in reinstating it.
Dream on Brendan!
Posted on 06-10-2014 11:49 | By monty1212
Why is this sill news?
Leave a Comment
You must be logged in to make a comment.