Editorial: Mystery man may hold the answer

Mark Dawson, Editor of Wanganui Chronicle

HAS a political puzzle finally been solved?

Kim MacIntyre was the mystery man of the 2014 general election in Whanganui when he stood for the Conservative Party, and that mystery may have come to an end in an Auckland court this week.

Mr MacIntyre never campaigned in Whanganui, never set foot in Whanganui, cancelled his one scheduled appearance here and remained an enigma throughout the campaign.

Auckland's High Court is currently hearing a defamation case against Mr MacIntyre's one-time boss, former Conservative Party leader Colin Craig, who has admitted to "inappropriate affection" for his former press secretary Rachel MacGregor, who resigned shortly before the 2014 election. For the Christian-based party, "inappropriate affection" translates as "sinful", possibly even "lustful".

This week the court heard that party leaders, including Mr MacIntyre's partner, former Conservative Party chief executive Christine Rankin, were so concerned at what some are referring to as "hanky-panky" that they had one of their number act as a "chaperone" to keep an eye on Craig and Ms MacGregor and make sure nothing unbecoming came to the public's attention.

Was Mr MacIntyre that person? Was he given the sensitive watching brief, and is that why a walkabout in Whanganui scheduled for September 6 that year was cancelled at the last minute?

We may never know the answer, just as we may never know why religion-based political parties implode so regularly. What we do know is that Mr MacIntyre was never available to speak to the Chronicle about his bid to unseat Chester Borrows, himself a lay preacher.

All attempts to contact him had to go through Ms Rankin's steely grip, and he was always too busy to talk. He was clearly on more serious party business, perhaps helping keep a lid on the scandal that has now engulfed Mr Craig, a married man, and the remnants of his party.