WIN Party Media Release

20.08.2005

WIN Party aligns with United Future for Election 05

On Friday 19 August, the WIN Party formally aligned with United Future and WIN Party founder and leader John van Buren will stand as the United Future candidate in the Labour-held seat of Christchurch Central.

"This in no way signals the demise and end of the WIN Party," says John van Buren, "and WIN will remain as a separate entity, fighting to preserve Freedom of Choice."

"But to insure the growing support for the WIN Party is not wasted at the ballot box, the only practical resolution was to align with a party that embraces the principles of freedom of choice and private property rights, upon which WIN was founded".

"Peter Dunne and United Future, with a stable and proven leadership and a commonsense approach towards governance, in reality, was the only party WIN could align with".

"We have been described as a small, nuisance-value party that will have little or no effect upon the outcome of this coming election, a statement that WIN Party supporters could prove to be just a touch inaccurate".

"WIN has achieved what it initially set out to do though highlighting the damage the blanket smoking ban in bars has had upon the hotel industry and the effect that damage has had upon hotel owners and licensees, especially in rural New Zealand".

"There were practical and workable alternatives to a blanket smoking ban in bars, but the Labour dominated coalition government gave these alternatives no consideration, in much the same way as they gave hotel owners no consideration when they forced the ban 'down their throats".

"The Kiwi Pub is an institution, a social centre for many rural communities, and people see the very existence of this institution under threat from the ban".

"What's at issue here is not smoking, but freedom of choice, something the present government regards as radical thought in this 'nanny state it's created".

"When hotel owners and smoking and non-smoking and patrons alike don't want the ban, a ban on smoking inside, what are privately owned properties, then freedom of choice has been killed off".

"There will be a backlash against those responsible for the ban and Labour will be bitten at the ballot box".

"I call upon WIN Party supporters, smokers, hotel owners and all hotel patrons who want to preserve the iconic Kiwi Pub to join me and throw their support behind Peter Dunne and United Future".

"Giving your Party Vote to United Future is a vote for Freedom of Choice and for Commonsense Governance".

ENDS

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