The political blowtorch was then applied to English who had sat for over a year while Barclay denied it and refused to cooperate with a police investigation, which was dropped for lack of evidence.
About 700 delegates have registered for the party's conference in Wellington including half a dozen from Clutha-Southland.
Bennett said Barclay was not expected at the conference, but that was his personal choice.
She said there was a sense of disbelief in Clutha-Southland that things had happened as quickly as they had.
"But actually they were turning their sights as to who was next."
Like Joyce, she did not think National's bad week would affect the conference.
"People will go 'God, what a week... and we don't want too many of them, thanks.'"
People will go 'God, what a week...and we don't want too many of them, thanks.'
Joyce said the events of the week would not significantly affect the conference.
"We have got a pretty experienced crew of volunteers who have seen a lot over the years and they know that these bumps happen from time to time," he said.
"They'll be ready to get on with the job and I don't think they will let this get in the way of their conference in any way, shape or form."
He said the events of the week, including complaints about Labour's foreign intern scheme, would remove any complacency.
Barclay was selected last December after a bitter contested reselection. English, the former MP for Clutha-Southland, described what happened there as a "spectacular bust-up."
Party president Peter Goodfellow said nominations for a new Clutha-Southland candidate would reopen in a week and stay open for a couple of weeks.
He said he addressed the issue of what happened in Clutha-Southland at a meeting on Friday with electorate and campaign chairs and candidates.
"I just said 'look this is the elephant in the room.'"