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The
Christchurch Civic Creche Case |
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In a break from
tradition, all National candidates will stand on the party's list this
election to underscore the directive that they must campaign for the party
vote first. The list ranking of
National's candidates will be determined this weekend and announced on
Sunday. List rankings are a
nail-biting process for political party candidates, as a high placing
guarantees those in the large parties a parliamentary seat whether or not
they win a constituency seat. National MPs are
sitting pretty, because the party has announced that the 25 MPs seeking
re-election will be given top-30 slots. At the last election, a
number of sitting MPs were ranked on the list behind new candidates, which
saw those MPs focus on fighting to retain their seats at the expense of
campaigning for the crucial party vote. Of the MPs now sitting,
six stood for constituency seats only. They included East
Coast Bays MP Murray McCully, Tamaki MP Clem Simich and Pakuranga MP Maurice
Williamson. President Judy Kirk
said yesterday that in previous elections, electorates such as East Coast
Bays with a constituency-only MP had also nominated up to two list
candidates. "This time the
constituent candidate is also the list nomination, which has tightened up the
list and made the calibre so much stronger." Only six of the 27 MPs
in the party are women and there is only one MP who identifies as Maori, and
one Asian MP. Mrs Kirk said she believed
National would have a more diverse team of MPs after the election. "My thinking has
always been that politics begins at the grassroots and you've got to have
candidates that reflect the community. I think we've done a good job with
that right throughout the country." Former New Zealand
World Trade Organisation ambassador Tim Groser is set for a high list
placing. The party set aside
five list-only places, and leader Don Brash and the Maori MP, Georgina te
Heuheu, will get two. The party is downplaying the likelihood of the other
two spots already being filled. Prominent QC Judith
Ablett Kerr opted not to stand. Auckland region
candidates set to get high list placings include Allan Peachey, Tau Henare
and Dr Jonathan Coleman. In the Wellington region former mayor Mark Blumsky
is expected to do well. |
