Simeon Brown: National's Campaign Manager on Vanessa Weenink's comments about National, Labour's comments on the overhang

National's campaign boss says an outgoing MP's brutal assessment of the party reflects how much she's listened to voters.  

Vanessa Weenink, who's lost Banks Peninsula, says some voters have told her they hate National, and she's worried the party will be pushed to the right with fewer liberals in the caucus.  

Simeon Brown told Mike Hosking he doesn't have a bad word to say about Weenink, as she worked so hard in her electorate, tirelessly door knocking throughout the campaign. 

But she says her seat has never been true-blue – it's a swing seat, so what she was hearing is a reflection of the range of voters she was meeting.  

Brown also says Labour's crying foul over an overhang, despite benefiting from one themselves.  

42 seats will go to National on provisional numbers, despite winning enough party votes for just 36.  

Chris Hipkins yesterday claimed National manipulated the electoral system through a vote-splitting strategy.  

But Brown told Hosking Te Pāti Māori did the same thing and National didn't lean into the strategy on the right. 

He says Christopher Luxon repeatedly asked voters to two-tick National, and Chris Hipkins is sharing a conspiracy theory. 

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