Old hands out to help the new kids

New National MPs spent yesterday getting training and tips from old hands Nick Smith and John Carter.

Twenty-four new National MPs from throughout the country gathered at Dr Smith's Nelson electorate office to learn about how to run constituency clinics in their electorates.

Dr Smith said National had never had such a big intake of new MPs to justify holding such a training session in the past.

But with 24 of National's 49 MPs new to the job, the party felt getting them all together in a central location to give them some pointers was a good idea.

"I remember the most terrorising part when I became an MP was my first constituency clinic," Dr Smith said. "Hopefully, by providing some training, the new MPs will hit the ground running."

Dr Smith said he was asked to hold the session because before this month's election, he held one of only two National provincial seats. The party had now drastically increased its number of provincial seats.

Dr Smith said the MPs would learn how to deal with constituents' problems with Government agencies, which often came up at clinics, as well as learning about managing electorate offices, employing electorate office staff, and relationships with schools, local government and district health boards.

Northcote's new MP, Jonathan Coleman, and National's new list MP for Mt Roskill, Jackie Blue, said Dr Smith was known to run a good electorate office and they were keen to get advice from him.

"I'm really interested in picking Nick's brains on how I turn a seat that used to be Labour into a safe National seat," Dr Coleman said.

National Party president Judy Kirk and chief whip Simon Power also attended the session.

- NZPA