The growing race for Botany
UPDATE2: And now Maggie Barry has confirmed she is seeking the nomination. If she gets a waiver for length of membership, then I would assume she will be one of the final five.
UPDATE: I’ve heard from two sources that broadcaster Maggie Barry may soon announce she will seek the nomination, if she can gain a board waiver for not being a member long enough.
Belinda McCammon in the SST reports on the latest in the Botany race:
With days to go before nominations close, 12 people are vying for National’s nomination in Botany – including former Labour Party member Daniel Newman.
The 34-year-old Property Council policy director and Auckland Council local board member said he was approached by a number of National Party members to stand.
Newman, who once shared close ties with Manurewa MP George Hawkins, said he had been a National Party member for four years and had been active in Judith Collins’ Papakura seat.
So who are those seeking the nomination:
- Aaron Bhatnagar, former Auckland City Councillor, an electorate chair
- Jami-Lee Ross, current Auckland Councillor, co-leader of C&R
- Denise Krum, was No 3 on United Future list in 2008, a party regional deputy chair
- Ram Rai, restaurant owner, an electorate chair
- Darron Gedge, regional policy chair, teacher at Elim Christian College
- Youngshin Watkins – no 69 on 2008 party list
- Ken Yee, former Manukau City Councillor, former candidate
- Daniel Newman, Chair of Manurewa Local Board
- Michael Williams, current Howick Board Chair
I’m not sure who the other three are.
Nominations close in a few days. After that nominations have to be approved by the National Board. One has to have some seriously nasty skeletons in your closet not to be approved.
Then the next step will be pre-selection. A nine person committee interviews all the candidates, and whittles the field down to a maximum of five.
I would be astonished if Aaron Bhatnagar, Jami-Lee Ross and Denise Krum are not three of those five. All are good people, who would be good MPs.
I think it is also highly likely Darron Gedge would make the final five.
So to some degree, the main focus may be on who gets the fifth slot.
Once pre-selection has occured, the names are officially released and they start the meet the candidates meetings.