June 23, 2014 12:00pm by David Farrar

Labour candidate denies being a Nat

Hawke’s Bay Today reports:

Tukituki Labour candidate Anna Lorck is rejecting a claim by her opponent, Craig Foss, that she was once a National supporter, despite a photograph of her with Prime Minister John Key tweeted in 2011.

Ms Lorck said yesterday that the tweet was posted from her personal Twitter account.

It included a photo of her and her daughter standing with Mr Key, but didn’t indicate she was once a National supporter.

The tweet said: “Big day for Augusta she like all the Frimley School choir just love our PM he seriously was like a rock star!” …

Asked if she was ever a National supporter, Ms Lorck said: “I’ve never been a member of the National Party.” However, the former PR consultant said she spent an hour on the phones encouraging people to vote on election day in 2011 after a member of Mr Foss’ campaign team asked her to.

She said that was not as a National Party supporter because party campaigning was not allowed on election day.

Umm, you’re volunteering for the National Party – that is supporting them. Sure you can’t advocate how people vote, but the people you are ringing are those identified as National supporters.

Ms Lorck drew criticism from the National Party, including Mr Key, earlier this year for another tweet, also posted in 2011, which called David Cunliffe, now her party’s leader, a “bully”.

So in total, Ms Lorck: