Andrew Dickens: Split voting and overhangs won't do us any good

There’s been a concerted campaign by Don Brash and Nick Mowbray to get National voters to split their vote and engineer an overhang.

A move John Key has said would be the opposite of clever.

Over the weekend, Don Brash went to print again to explain why it’s a good idea.

The upshot is that National’s strength in the electorates could mean a loss of list seats, which would affect several senior ministers, including Nicola Willis.

In the piece, he argues that National voters are smart enough to work out split voting for themselves and don’t need John Key telling them how to vote.

The irony is that Mr Brash and Mr Mowbray have been telling people how to vote all along.

Mr Brash believes it’s the only way for National to save a centre-right coalition, but there is another way: be more popular.

The other disconnect is that many on the right already believe New Zealand has too many MPs, and yet here are Mr Brash and Mr Mowbray wanting even more, perhaps as many as 124.

Another irony is that many on the right can’t stand it when Helen Clark butts in with her tuppence-worth, yet here is a former leader of National and ACT doing exactly the same thing at the age of 85.

What’s sauce for the goose is also sauce for the gander. I would prefer Mr Brash to zip it, sweetie.