National reopens Selwyn race

Written By: - Date published: 11:53 am, December 14th, 2007 - 2 comments
Categories: national - Tags:

Local Nats don’t want David Carter as their candidate for Selwyn.

Looks like the threats, intimidation and bullying tactics used to get him the candidacy have backfired for him. Carter (himself a three time loser to Labour’s Ruth Dyson in Banks Peninsula) has a history of bagging other candidates within his party.

He said of Brian Connell, when selected for Rakaia in 2002, that National “didn’t get a hell of a good line-up of candidates… they weren’t bad but there was nobody who was a stunner” (Chch Press, 3 Oct 2006).

Well the local party people didn’t toss Brian Connell back quite as fast as they’re trying to bin David Carter – they’re right to of course because in his own words – he isn’t a stunner either.

My bet is that John Key will still want him to win the selection and that Carter will be forced on the electorate against the wishes of the local Nats. Democracy – National style.

From the Press this morning:

National reopens Selwyn race

National MP David Carter will battle up to 12 rival candidates for the Selwyn seat after the party’s board agreed to an embarrassing selection rerun.

Nominations for electorates across the country have closed, but National president Judy Kirk said yesterday the board had decided to reopen the Selwyn contest in February after 35 party members lodged a formal complaint…

It is understood the candidates were warned several front-bench National MPs would publicly campaign for Carter to get the nod if they put their names forward.

Carter’s colleagues felt such a senior MP should not have to face a selection battle against newcomers…

In its complaint to the board, the disgruntled group of party members said Carter should have known the selection process was flawed. “His future as a Cabinet minister will often put him under the spotlight and, if this is a sign of his true judgment, then we may be headed for turbulent times with him as a minister of the Crown,” the letter says…

2 comments on “National reopens Selwyn race ”

  • Comments are now closed

  1. Burns Unit 1
    14 December 2007 at 2:45 pm

    [Tane: Dad, you can’t go about defaming and wishing death upon National MPs on this site. It’s just not on.]

  2. PhilBest 2
    14 December 2007 at 5:27 pm

    Weeeeeelllllll, I WONDER who has the most potential candidates who are pissed off at the distortion of the “selection” process: National or Labour?

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