Simon O’Connor has won the nomination for one of National’s safest seats – congratulations to Simon who won on the final ballot in the rushed contest to replace Allan Peachey after he resigned for ill health. This selection process has been exceptionally well run by the electorate chair and there has not been even a hint of skullduggery except by the President making his usual hamfisted interventions but no one in National thinks this is malicious, it is just the president has tits for hands.
The rushed selection has arguably not allowed delegates a proper chance to get to know the candidates, but the result accurately reflects the Tamaki constituency preference for a conservative male candidate who is well networked into the party, who presented fairly well and was good off-the-cuff. It also represents their desire to play it safe, by not selecting a candidate who would have represented unacceptable public relations risks for the party. There is also a suggestion that the aged males of Tamaki did not want a woman, which excluded three of the unsuccessful candidates (two of whom were female).
Commiserations to Denise Krum, who gave a great speech on the night and who presented well. It is unfortunate that she is still being tagged with the description of “former United Future president” in the Herald – she has earned the right to be described as National through and through.
Mark Thomas probably hung up his political boots last night after coming third (insiders suggested he was likely to win, and he had the support of some prominent Auckland Nats). His Party involvement has been defined by rejection at important moments – knifed by Bolger and humiliated at the hands of the famously narrow-minded Tamaki electorate.
It looks like once again Tamaki will have to be satisfied with a less than average MP.
