Conservative backs Mitchell

Larry Baldock (left) in a meeting of minds with New Zealand First's Tauranga candidate Clayton Mitchell. Photo / John Borren

A prominent Tauranga member of the Conservative Party will be voting for New Zealand First's Clayton Mitchell in next week's election.

Larry Baldock said he was picking a person who had the most to offer the city and the best chance of entering Parliament.

Mr Mitchell will become an MP if New Zealand First's good showing in the polls translated into votes on September 20.

The two men share similar political fortunes.

If Mr Mitchell entered Parliament on the list, it meant he would have followed the same path into national politics as Mr Baldock, including having to resign his seat on the Tauranga City Council after serving just one year.

Mr Baldock became a list MP on the back of United Future's TV worm-inspired campaign of 2002 but missed in 2005 when the party's popularity slumped. Mr Mitchell shot into contention by his 6th ranking on the New Zealand First list.

When the two men met over a cup of coffee yesterday, Mr Baldock said he wanted Mr Mitchell in Parliament to make a difference. Mr Mitchell replied, "Let's hope so, we will know in 11 days' time." Mr Baldock's decision to vote for Mr Mitchell instead of the Conservative's Tauranga candidate Nathaniel Heslop comes three months after he told the party hierarchy he would withdraw his candidacy for Tauranga if the "one law to rule us all" policy became one of the top election policies. However he still intends to give his party vote to the Conservatives.

Mr Baldock said he was impressed by Mr Mitchell's determination to get tolls off Route K, with New Zealand First leader Winston Peters vowing to make the issue a condition of negotiations if his party ended up in the position of king maker to form a new government.

Mr Baldock suspected that last month's decision by the New Zealand Transport Agency to take over Route K and its $62 million debt had something to do with New Zealand First's stance. "I always believed it would take some political pressure to move them."

Mr Mitchell said the moment he was sworn in as an MP, he would resign from the council. He understood people's concerns about double dipping even although he felt he could do both jobs.