Parochialism alive and well in National

Wira Gardiner. Photo / Mark Mitchell

It is an indictment on the National Party that such a high calibre candidate as Wira Gardiner could not even be elected to the party's board of directors.

He came sixth from a pool of eight candidates in an election for five vacancies using preferential voting.

The board of nine is entirely Pakeha, and two are women.

The line the delegates to the annual conference are taking today is that Gardiner was a victim of parochialism, not racism.

The regions who supported their own men for the presidential contest this morning - in particular Auckland and Canterbury - block voted to rank Gardiner last on the preferential ballot paper to ensure one less presidential contender.

If Gardiner had said he would not seek the presidency that he would have been elected to the board, some are saying. That may well be the case.

Yesterday's result must have been disappointing and even humiliating for Gardiner. His track record with the party goes back for decades, when a Maori supporting National was regarded as almost treacherous. He is one of the most effective leaders in Maoridom and has been used by both Labour and National Governments to help resolve some of their hairiest problems.

MMP has meant that the face of the parliamentary wing is more reflective of society. John Key has made is a signature of his leadership to change the face of Parliament. The party itself has not followed that lead and appears unconcerned.

The restructuring of the party in 2003 to a board of directors was intended to reduce the parochialism and self-interest that afflicts political parties. It seems that that parochialism is alive and well in National.

Auckland businessman Peter Goodfellow was elected president this morning from the board of directors.

After his first round of interviews it is clear he is a measure and careful man. He is one of the wealthy Goodfellow dynasty and will be well connected when it comes to fund-raising.

English's home allowance

Before Bill English gave his speech to the National Party conference in Christchurch, he spent some time with reporters defending the $900 payment he receives each week for staying in the Wellington house owned by an English family trust.

The Dominion Post's lead this morning highlights the fact that English receives the accommodation allowance while living in his own home.

It is the sort of publicity MPs dread at any time let alone on the dawn of the biggest party conference for years.

Like Roger Douglas this week defending his technical "right" to have taxpayers subsidise his holiday flights by 90 per cent, a finance minister being paid to live in his own home is not a good look, not when his mantra these days is that "restraint is permanent."

But English says he has taken the cheapest option and is actually saving the taxpayer money.

[It is clearly not the cheapest option - the cheapest would be taking no allowance.]

"It would be much more expensive for us to move out and expect the Government to find housing for eight in Wellington," he said. " So we made a decision that was best the family and lowest cost for the taxpayer. And kept to the rules."

The amount English gets is no more than other ministers are costing the taxpayer for renting flash apartments in Wellington (they have a cap of $700 in rent but also get cleaning, gas, power, insurance and building maintenance paid for).

The figures were part of the new disclosures that started this week on the costs of individual MPs for the first six months of the year. Judith Collins ministerial flat, for example, has cost $886 a week and ironically Housing Minister Phil Heatley's ministerial pad has cost the most, $946 a week. Only six ministers, including Prime minister John Key, stay in a ministerial home owned by the Crown. They are also one down because the GG has moved into Vogel House.

But if you are a Wellington based minister, like Chris Finlayson, you do not qualify for a ministerial home.

English's allowance is based on the notion that Wellington is not his home - even though it is wife and kids' home.

He is MP for Clutha Southland at the bottom of the South Island but with six kids and most at school, his wife and kids have made Wellington their home. She works there and the kids go to school there. They rented for many years but had to shift twice. They moved to the Wellington place in Karori a couple of years ago and it still has a mortgage.

English insists that his primary residence is still Dipton in the electorate where they still have family home and which he frequently visits.

"I represent an electorate as far away as you can get and I am not willing to solve a perception problem by sending my children home. If people regard our desire to keep our family together under the pressures of politics at no extra cost to the taxpayer .....

"If I sent my kids home it would still cost the taxpayer the same; if I move somewhere else that will cost them more and we are quite happy we have met the rules, made the best decision for the family when they needed stability."

MPs - as opposed to ministers - who live outside Wellington also get an accommodation allowance but much less - a maximum of $24,000 a year but for actual costs which can be used for hotels, rents or the interest on a mortgage.

Retiring president Judy Kirk has just announced the results of the election for the five vacancies on the board of directors and presidential hopeful Wira Gardiner has missed out altogether. That means he will not be able to contest the presidency tomorrow morning which is elected by the board from its members.

Auckland businessman Scott Simpson was re-elected and Auckland regional chairman Alastair Bell was elected. Both are considered potential candidates for the presidency as is sitting board member and Auckland businessman Peter Goodfellow.

Grant MCCallum was relected and Pat Seymour and Kate Hazlett were elected.

Wira Gardiner. Photo / Mark Mitchell.