Silly nonsense about Papakura
The Herald has done an article alleging that somehow the Papakura selection was unfair because Emma Chatterton, who won, entered the meeting with Erica Stanford.
I have no view on the outcome of the selection, except to say I’d love to see both Nancy Lu and Emma Chatterton in caucus. I don’t know who the other candidates were.
But the suggestion that who someone walks into a selection meeting with, would influence delegates is ridiculous. First of all, I doubt many people even notice who walks in with whom. But let me explain what the typical selection process is.
- Candidates often meet each of the 60 delegates 1 on 1 in their homes to discuss their background, plans, and make a pitch for support
- There are three Meet the Candidate meetings where they give a short speech, and answer detailed questions from delegates.
- The final selection meeting where they do a 10 minute speech, and answer a question on behalf of the Leader and the President
How nominees perform at those meetings has 100 times more impact, then who walks in with who.
Sources, who have spoken to the Herald under the condition they remain anonymous, have claimed they felt Chatterton was advantaged ahead of the selection. Multiple sources have pointed to Chatterton walking into the final selection meeting alongside senior minister Erica Stanford, for whom Chatterton works as a senior advisor, as an action some considered could influence delegates.
Well it could influence delegates, just as the colour of your tie could influence delegates. But I have more regard for delegates not being morons, than the anonymous sources.
Lu told the Herald she believed the selection had been “fair” and claimed the first she’d heard of concerns was in media reporting yesterday.
So thee concerns are not coming from the candidate who lost.
Shirley Haslam, a member of National’s Papakura electorate executive committee, was one of 60 delegates who voted on who the party’s candidate would be.
Speaking to the Herald, Haslam rejected any suggestion that senior figures tried to influence the vote.
“We never saw Judith, we never saw Erica,” she said.
“We certainly had people from the [National Party Auckland] regional office, they came and they ran the official meetings, they were all run by the book and it was very strict.
“It’s really disappointing that somebody thinks that.”
In my experience senior figures trying to influence the vote, will usually backfire. Local delegates take badly to pressure.
The post Silly nonsense about Papakura first appeared on Kiwiblog.