Hayes pledges ?hell of a fight

A buoyant National Party last night selected former career diplomat and Greytown entrepreneur John Hayes as its candidate for Wairarapa, vowing to stand united behind him in a concerted effort to wrest the seat from Labour.
Mr Hayes, 56, won the party's endorsement on the second ballot and told delegates and supporters who packed the downstairs floor of Masterton Town Hall that Wairarapa was "winnable" for National and he intended to mount "one hell of a fight" to prove it.
Using the universal suffrage voting system for the first time, whereby any person who has been a paid-up party member for six months and attended a meet-the-candidates meeting could vote, Wairarapa delegates eliminated Kevyn Harris on the first ballot, leaving Mr Hayes and Wellington's Richard Townley to square off.
Unlike the Labour selection meeting earlier this week that selected Featherston schoolteacher Denise MacKenzie, the press were allowed to cover the meeting on condition that the 10-minute speeches of each potential candidate were not reported.
The choice of Mr Hayes was met with sustained applause from the floor and in his acceptance speech the newly-selected candidate said getting the nod had been an arduous process that had "consumed me every day for the last few weeks".
Now that he has been handed the task he intends to go flat-out to put Wairarapa safely back in National hands.
Mr Hayes is married to Helen and has a grown-up family.
He lives in Greytown, where he bought the old Tasman Orchard on West Street about seven years ago.
On part of the land he has built retirement villas and the remainder is used for running cattle and growing apples.
Although he has now retired from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Mr Hayes spent many years as a diplomat and director.
He has had a colourful career with many overseas missions that took him to trouble spots throughout the world including being at various times High Commissioner to Papua New Guinea, Ambassador to Iran, High Commissioner to Pakistan and charge d'affair in Saudi Arabia.
Mr Hayes was also once the principal private secretary to former prime minister Mike Moore when he was minister for overseas trade, sports and recreation minister and tourism minister.
He said today his decision to seek to become an MP was driven by his concern over a range of issues facing New Zealand.
"I thought if I was worried about them then I should get my head above the parapet and do something about it."
Mr Hayes said the Labour Party decision not to go with Masterton Mayor Bob Francis as its candidate had not come as a surprise to him.
Whereas others had apparently believed he would have to square off with Mr Francis if he secured the National Party spot he had actually "won a small wager" when Mr Francis had not got the nod from Labour.
"I know how machiavellian the Labour Party is."
Mr Hayes said he has not thought out long-term political plans such as any aspirations to become a Cabinet minister.
"My first obligation is to properly represent the people of Wairarapa ? to give them a good, strong voice in Parliament."