Prime Minister John Key early this year shrewdly pegged an election date just weeks after the Rugby World Cup. 

Key ensured a short campaign period and also would have banked on a feel-good factor from the All Blacks winning. 

His tactics worked a treat, even for this politics-mad observer – at least the first half of the campaign was over before my post-RWC euphoria diminished. 

It took a cup of tea – which you normally associate with a lie-down – to wake up the country to the election campaign. 

Whether caused by that tea-tape fiasco or not, the one-sided election burst into life. 

That old fossil, Winston Peters, suddenly had a new scandal to work with – people generally don’t like being told they’re dying out. 

In Queenstown, however, the cam­­paign remained at soporific levels. 

Labour somehow commandeered several prominent reserves for billboards. 

However, not one forum was provided for local electorate candidates. 

Even drumming up a crowd for that Chamber of Commerce debate, featuring several party heavyweights, proved hard work. 

Labour leader Phil Goff, whom I never sighted down here during his reign, predictably didn’t turn up during the campaign. 

Key came to announce he’ll keep the tourism portfolio – not that local MP Bill English needed any help to keep his safe seat. 

Really, Queenstown couldn’t sit more cosily in the political firmament. 

The PM holds the portfolio that represents our lifeblood, and our MP holds the country’s purse strings as Finance Minister – and if he remains the Deputy Prime Minister, steps up to lead the country when Key is away. 

But back to apathy - elections became a bit of a bore for locals when Queenstown shifted into the safe National seat of Clutha-Southland four years ago. 

In earlier days, we were in the more marginal Otago electorate. 

Parties were more inclined to offer ‘bribes’ to win our vote – perhaps we’d have had more chance of a new Kawarau Falls bridge and a relocated high school by now. 

As Queenstown continues to grow, you’d pick Labour – which has hardly ever had a presence here – to become more interested. 

Imagine if it got our low-paid tourism workforce to vote for it – interestingly, one of New Zealand’s most prominent left-wing activists, Matt McCarten, was radicalised here during a hotel workers’ strike. 

But bet on Labour taking more interest in Queenstown if David Parker takes over from Goff. 

Parker once worked as a lawyer here and was our local MP for a term. 

Expect Parker to hold Key and English to account on local issues.