“Ms Lee missed the PSA by-election debate last night – attended by all the other major candidates – as she felt it was more important to attend a local Neighbourhood Watch meeting,” Mr Boscawen said.

“She claimed that she had to attend the Neighbourhood Watch meeting as she had championed the community constable – a fact that has now been disputed by Labour’s Clayton Cosgrove.

“Obviously Ms Lee must feel passionately about law and order if she was willing to miss the debate and wants to be seen to be helping the community, regardless of whether her claims of championing the constable are actually true.

“Supporting ACT’s ‘Three Strikes’ would have far more impact on crime and if Ms Lee wants to do anything to improve law and order in New Zealand – instead of making questionable claims about one community constable – she should make a difference on a national scale and come out in support of ACT’s ‘Three Strikes’,” Mr Boscawen said.

“When phoned, Mr Li told Labour supporter that he did not wish to vote until June 13. He only agreed to vote early after he was told it was ’safer’ to vote now as missing voting on polling day was against the law,” Mr Boscawen said.

“I am deeply concerned that Mr Li was coerced into voting earlier than he intended, which could have affected his vote. Mt Albert has a large immigrant community and it would be easy for those not well versed in English to be misled into believing that it was compulsory.

“Upon speaking with the Electoral Commission they informed me that it would be launching an investigation and would let me know the outcome. It could not, however, tell me when the investigation would be completed.

“This is unacceptable. An investigation of this nature should be completed within 24 hours, to ensure that no other Mt Albert residents are coerced into voting early like Mr Li.

“Labour is clearly worried that ACT’s campaign is taking its votes. Labour supporters are trying to get Mt Albert residents down to the polling station as quick as possible before they get a chance to meet me and understand ACT’s campaign. Labour realises that once this happens, it has no real chance of winning,” Mr Boscawen said.

“Ms Lee has effectively conceded defeat and confirmed what I have been saying all along: that the Mt Albert by-election is between myself and Labour’s David Shearer,”Mr Boscawen said.

“While it is disappointing that Ms Lee has dropped out of the race, I look forward to working with her in my capacity as the Mt Albert MP, as she is clearly a passionate advocate for the people of Auckland.

“As the only Centre-Right candidate left in the race, I will be campaigning hard in the coming weeks to raise the issues important to the people of this electorate,”Mr Boscawen said.

“TV3 last night reported that Mt Albert National supporters are now looking for any way to ensure that Labour’s David Shearer does not become their local MP,” Mr Boscawen said.

“Mt Albert National supporters need to know that their views and concerns will be properly represented in Parliament. As the only centre right candidate in the race, I am the only person who can ensure this.

“While I understand that the last thing Mt Albert residents need is David Shearer as their MP, voting for the Green Party candidate is a dangerous tactic that will only strengthen Labour’s hand in Parliament.

“Mt Albert voters know that high expenditure and a ‘borrow and hope’ strategy – typical of Labour – will only make this recession worse. A vote for the Greens is a vote for Labour – a vote for me is a vote for commonsense and real representation,” Mr Boscawen said.

“There can be only one of two possibilities as to why Ms Lee did not receive the invitation,” Mr Boscawen said.

“Either the National Party hierarchy and her campaign team consider her to be such an embarrassment and liability that they did not pass the invitation on, or the Mt Albert community does not rate her as a viable candidate for the seat.

“I am pleased to have been invited and this further confirms that this election is a two horse race between myself and my Labour opponent,” Mr Boscawen said.

“New Zealand cannot afford such an extravagance. The fact that this option was even considered is a testament to both Labour and National Governments’ woeful record of bad decision-making and unproductive Government expenditure,” Mr Boscawen said.

“Although ACT has always opposed the tunnel option, I am aware that the impact of a surface route on the people of Mt Albert must be minimised.

“As such, I propose an alternative surface route that will result in the removal of fewer than 50 houses. This route would follow the existing rail designation corridor to the south of Hendon Ave, rather than to the north where many homes would be lost. It would also travel east of Oakley Stream – again, resulting in the loss of fewer homes.

“I am very concerned to read that the Government is considering acquiring a further 250 houses in addition to the 150 it already owns. I believe my alternative route will have less impact on the community and I urge Transport Minister Stephen Joyce to seriously consider it.

“Helen Clark was MP for Mt Albert for 28 years, and Prime Minister for nine; if anyone could have ensured the tunnel was built under Mt Albert it was her – yet she failed to do so. David Shearer and Labour continue to play a cruel hoax on Mt Albert residents by suggesting it would build a tunnel rather then the far more affordable surface option.

“It is time for Labour to come clean with the people of Mt Albert and tell the truth. New Zealand cannot afford a tunnel and we will have to find an alternative,” Mr Boscawen said

“At last Ms Lee has come clean – even though she had to be backed into a corner to admit it,” Mr Boscawen said.

“ACT has always favoured a surface route and has been upfront with Mt Albert residents from the start. A $2.77 billion tunnel is a luxury we cannot afford. As such it is pleasing that Ms Lee supports ACT’s view that we need to focus on reducing Government spending – rather than encouraging massive borrowing that will put our children’s future’s in jeopardy.

“ACT has investigated an alternative surface route that utilises the existing rail corridor to the south of Hendon Avenue and continues north-east of Oakley Stream. This involves the removal of fewer than 50 houses – far fewer than David Shearer’s tunnel option, which will result in the removal of over 100 houses.

“I now urge Green Party candidate Dr Russel Norman to lend his support to this option, and drop his totally unrealistic idea and non-sensible notion that the motorway should stop in Mt Roskill and disgorge thousands of cars daily onto Mt Albert Streets.

“The stupidity and insincerity of what Mr Norman peddles was exposed in the candidates’ interview on Auckland University radio 95bFM today, where he expressed concern about a few additional cars exiting the proposed 24-hour McDonalds restaurant in Balmoral.

“Mr Norman’s hypocrisy knows no bounds – he is happy for thousands of cars daily to disgorge onto Mt Albert Streets, but raises this as an objection to the proposed McDonalds restaurant.

“The reality is that this is a two-horse race between myself and David Shearer – Mr Norman’s comment today only serves to underline that fact,” Mr Boscawen said.

At 10am this coming Saturday ACT Leader Rodney Hide and ACT Mt Albert candidate John Boscawen will be joined by special guest former ACT Leader Richard Prebble to kick-start the campaign before Party members and supporters hit the streets of Mt Albert.

Mt Albert By-Election Campaign Launch; Gladstone Primary School Hall, 8 Seaview Terrace, Mt Albert, Auckland; 10am, Saturday, May 9 2009.

“New Zealand is currently in the grip of a recession and cannot afford to spend more than $3 billion on a tunnel in Mt Albert when the surface route alternative is estimated to be $2 billion cheaper,” Mr Boscawen said.

“The interest alone on borrowing a further $2 billion would be more then enough to double the number of cataract, hip replacement and coronary bypass operations performed each year.

“The Mt Albert contest is a by-election, not a BUY-election – any Party advocating the proposed Waterview tunnel is simply trying to buy votes without a thought for fiscal responsibility.

“ACT is the only Party willing to tell it like it is: no matter who is elected, the Waterview motorway will be above ground. The costings show that there is simply no other way.

“New Zealand’s current troubles stem from both Labour and National Governments overspending – rising from around $12,000 per person to $18,800 in real terms in just 13 years. We are the third most indebted country in the world and this problem will not be solved by spending even more on a tunnel when there are cheaper alternatives.

“That’s why I’m calling on National’s Melissa Lee to front up and be honest with Mt Albert residents about National’s intentions.

“The by-election gives the voters of Mt Albert a chance to send a message to Wellington that they have had enough of the high spenders.

“It’s time for the Government to bring spending under control and help ACT ensure that our future generations are not burdened by the millstone of ever-increasing and insurmountable debt,” Mr Boscawen said.