National's HQ must shift says chief

By HELEN TUNNAH

National's headquarters should be moved to Auckland from Wellington as a first step towards winning back the many Aucklanders who dumped the party this election, the party's northern regional chairman said yesterday.

Scott Simpson said the Auckland vote was vital, and National had to analyse why its support in the city collapsed to almost half that in 1999.

"Obviously I'm disappointed and saddened that in Auckland, which is a key voting block in the country, the National Party's performance couldn't be better.

"Now we've got a very big job to turn that around, because I think in Auckland National does have a natural constituency that is more than 20 per cent."

He said shifting the party head office should be seriously considered.

"I think there's some logic to having the heart of your political Machine where the voters are."

Across New Zealand, National's support dropped from 30.5 per cent in 1999 to 21 per cent this election.

The party fared even worse in 17 urban Auckland electorates.

Three years ago, National picked up 166,815 party votes in Auckland, but this time secured just 86,510. Its share of the vote dropped 12 percentage points, from 31.7 per cent to 19.7 per cent. Labour's vote rose from 39.4 to 43.4 per cent.

The big winners in Auckland were New Zealand First and United Future, who each increased their share of the vote by 5 per cent to 6 per cent.

The slump cost National its plans to increase the Auckland impact on the caucus.

School principal Allan Peachey, one of National's new "stars", failed to get elected off the list, and highly regarded list MP Belinda Vernon was another casualty.

The new "Auckland" influence now comes from former Reserve Bank Governor Don Brash, who moved north from Wellington, and Christchurch list MP Pansy Wong, who pulled in fewer votes in Auckland Central than the party's 1999 candidate, and from new Auckland-based MPs Judith Collins and John Key.

National's Auckland campaign was directed by its central election committee, comprising leader Bill English, president Michelle Boag, director-general Allan Johnston, deputy leader Roger Sowry, MPs Simon Power and Murray McCully, and Mr English's advisers, Tim Grafton and Sue Foley.

Mr English's campaigning in Auckland was surprising. He spent less time in the city than expected, and spent one full afternoon at a Warriors rugby league game - in Labour heartland. He was booed by a section of the crowd.

Party workers, in part because of the weather, did less doorknocking. Instead there was a greater reliance on text-messaging, e-mails and telephone canvassing.

"I think there's nothing better than approaching people on the doorstep," Mr Simpson said.

"Where it was being done we were getting a good response."

He said long-time Auckland MP and strategist Mr McCully should have been influential on the campaign in the city, and whether he was would be discussed in a review.

"Many politicians based outside Auckland believe you can come up to Auckland for a couple of days a week and you've done it.

"There isn't one single Auckland and I don't think many politicians actually grasp that.

"They say 'I've been to Auckland, spent a day in Auckland, I've done Auckland'. It doesn't work that way."

Mr Simpson, who is also the party vice-president, said National's organisation in Auckland would be seeking a greater say in campaigns.

He said the Auckland vote would be analysed booth by booth. He wanted to see Auckland MPs unite as a caucus to advance the city's interests - across party lines if need be.

Mr Simpson said National also had to return to its core principles, such as rewarding effort and free enterprise and promoting less government - and sell them better.

He said in hindsight National was also too slow to issue policies, which allowed other parties to grab traditional National ground.

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