Tauranga Business Chambers chief executive Matt Cowley has put his hand up for National Party selection. Photo / NZME
Tauranga Business Chambers chief executive Matt Cowley has put his hand up for National Party selection. Photo / NZME
Tauranga Business Chamber chief executive Matt Cowley has confirmed his bid to be the National Party's candidate in the Tauranga byelection.
Nominations for the party's candidate to replace outgoing Tauranga MP Simon Bridges close today and will go through a vetting and selection process.
Bridges' resignation is effective from May6, candidate nominations close on May 17 and the byelection will be held on June 18.
In a statement, Cowley said he was working with the chamber's board to limit his role during the election process to ensure the chamber maintained its political neutrality.
He said he would make further statements on his policy positions if he was selected as the party's candidate.
Clout, who was among councillors replaced by a Government-appointed commission that recently had its term extended to 2024, said he was "extremely concerned" about the direction of the Government.
"I've got nothing against the commissioners personally but I still believe we should be having an election this October for the local council."
Clout was deputy mayor of Tauranga for six years, standing unsuccessfully for mayor three times. He has a business background.
"I've got a huge amount of experience that I can bring to the role as MP and in many ways for me, it's now or never and I thought, well, I'm just going to put my best foot forward.
Tauranga City councillor Kelvin Clout. Photo / George Novak
"Primarily I feel that I'm ready for this next part of my political career and particularly in terms of wanting to serve the city that I've lived in for 32 years."
Clout said he was looking forward to the internal contest within the National Party to be the party's candidate.
"I believe that I would make a very good MP and advocate for the wonderful people of Tauranga."
A National Party spokesperson said they could not confirm how many people had been nominated for the seat as nominations closed today.
"Even after that, the only people we confirm are the up to five that our preselection committee puts forward to stand in an internal selection.
"We don't normally go into the detail of people who apply unless they're part of that up to five that progress to the next stage."
The spokesperson said once the nomination period closed, the people who applied would be vetted by the party's board.
From those who passed the vetting, the preselection committee would choose a maximum of five potential nominees to progress forward.
"We then have a selection committee which meets and you have three 'meet the nominees' meetings of those ones at various places around the electorate."
After that will come a final selection to choose the winning candidate on May 1.
National Party Central North Island chairman Andrew von Dadelszen earlier said the party was taking the unusual step of having the next candidate chosen by the party faithful, instead of the party board.
The board would still have the power to veto candidates "but it won't be participating in the selection process", he said.
Confirmed byelection candidates from other parties include former Tauranga principal and current Minister for Internal Affairs, and Women Jan Tinetti for Labour; self-employed Pāpāmoa builder Cameron Luxton of Act; self-employed Nelson lawyer Sue Grey for the NZ Outdoors and Freedom Party; and New Conservative Party co-leader Helen Houghton.
