National scraps troubled Rodney selection process
The National Party has scrapped its Rodney electorate candidate selection process, after reports of infighting and allegations the selection committee was stacked.
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Rich List
The National Party has scrapped its Rodney electorate candidate selection process, after reports of infighting and allegations the selection committee was stacked.
Delegates were this week due to choose a candidate to replace long-serving MP and Speaker of the House Lockwood Smith, who is stepping down as an electorate MP at the November election.
However, the decision was pushed back amid allegations of bias and attempts to skew the process by the frontrunners.
National Party president Peter Goodfellow said today the party had decided to "wipe the slate clean and begin the process again".
"Rodney is an important electorate for National and we are determined to ensure that the process for selecting a candidate is beyond reproach," he said.
"For this reason, we have decided to make a fresh start. The board apologises to delegates and nominees for any inconvenience."
New dates for the selection would be set in conjunction with the electorate chair and advised at a later date.
Mr Goodfellow said it was not his place to comment on the allegations as he had not been involved in the selection process.
"What I'm concerned with is that we get the process right and that the best interests of democracy are served," he said.
The new process would give the electorate the opportunity to increase its membership and involve more local delegates.
The scrapped process would have chosen from one of five nominees -- Scott Simpson, Brent Robinson, John Kirikiri, Mark Mitchell and Christopher Penk.
Rodney is considered a safe seat for National, with Dr Smith holding the seat with a majority of more than 15,000 at the 2008 election.
NZPA
Sat, 05 Mar 2011
Sat, 05 Mar 2011
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National scraps troubled Rodney selection process
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