Aspiring candidates should fact check my statements with successful and unsuccessful candidates.
Should I expect dirty tricks and unethical behaviour during selection?
Yes. Selections in Rodney, Epsom, Coromandel and Palmerston North all had allegations of unethical behaviour from other candidates or people in the party hierarchy.
The Rodney selection was covered in depth on Whaleoil and can be followed here. In that case one candidate and electorate chair were ham-fisted in attempting to rig the selection by signing up a lot of $5 members from some fundy churches at the last minute so they could stack the delegates. Board members also meddled in this selection so much so that it had to be re-cast after they all got busted.
In other selections board members were involved in distributing online material about candidates opposing their choice, and often using it out of context. The was also messages to delegates about appropriateness of having a woman with young children as a candidate, or it was “time for a man” and other unsavoury factors including regional chairs appointing top up delegates and telling them one candidate was useless. This breach of ethics by senior party officials does not reflect well on National.
