National 'must change or turn into dinosaur'

By HELEN TUNNAH

Dumped Pacific Island MP Arthur Anae has warned National it must face up to the changing face of New Zealand or risk becoming a "dinosaur".

Mr Anae was ranked too low on National's list to be elected at the weekend, and said the Pacific Island community had been "insulted" at his treatment while Maori and Asian communities were protected with high list rankings.

He said his gripe was not with MPs or leader Bill English, but with the party organisation.

"My position on the party list doesn't affect me personally, but it's a direct insult to the Pacific community - to be put back there while they seem to think that the Asian and Maori communities matter and we didn't.

"They didn't deserve the vote of the Pacific community with that kind of attitude to it, and I know they didn't get it."

Mr Anae was in June placed at 28 on National's list, a ranking that put his re-election in doubt even then. But Canterbury list MP Pansy Wong moved to Auckland and was ranked at number 10.

Two Maori candidates were ranked in the top 15, and a second Asian candidate was ranked at 34.

No other Pacific Island hopeful made the top 50.

Mr Anae said yesterday that National had to realise the future of New Zealand was brown.

"I was bitterly disappointed with my list position."

He said Mr English, whose wife is part-Samoan, understood that the New Zealand population was changing, but some of the party members who ranked the list did not.

"We have 31 gurus ... who pick this team and that's where the fault lies.

"If they don't wake up and recognise that the mixed ethnicity of New Zealand and the brown vote of New Zealand is growing at a pace faster than anything else - they've got to look at that very seriously.

"The whole face of New Zealand has changed and those who are going to ignore it are going to be dinosaurs."

Mr Anae said new Asians might support National, but established ethnic communities, including Indians and Islanders, were loyal to Labour.

"They just don't trust us, they don't believe we care for them, and if you look at it this time, Labour has three Pacific MPs and one a minister, and they've also positioned Pacific people on Government boards, which is sending a strong message they do care for us."

As well as being a list candidate, Mr Anae stood in the Manukau East electorate for the election. He received just over 5000 votes, but lost to Labour MP Ross Robertson, who got almost 14,000 votes.

Mr Anae said he was undecided if he would return to politics.

* National MPs appear to have managed to silence a colleague who has been lashing out at party president Michelle Boag over the humiliating election defeat.

On Tuesday morning, MP Maurice Williamson vowed to keep calling for Ms Boag to stand down until she did, but yesterday he was silent.

On election night Mr Williamson likened Ms Boag to a boil that had to be lanced.

Many in the party are blaming Ms Boag for the campaign strategy and presentation.

Following the party's first post-election caucus meeting on Tuesday, Mr English said more pressure would be placed on Mr Williamson to be quiet after he initially ignored his call for calm reflection.

Asked whether Mr Williamson would continue his criticism despite being told to stop, Mr English said: "That is a matter that I am sure Maurice's colleagues will be raising with him.

"This is an issue about which there has been some strong feelings, but it is ultimately a matter for the party."

Full election coverage

Graphic: Seats in the 47th Parliament

Full election results

Election links:
The parties, policies, electoral information, and more