Four contenders chase Whanganui candidacy

Hawera's Neil Walker is the acting chairman of the Whanganui electorate. PHOTO/ FILE

A young Taranaki farmer has joined three Whanganui people in the fight to be the National Party's Whanganui candidate at September's election.

The four are dentist Hadleigh Reid, lawyer Harete Hipango, former Wanganui Chronicle general manager Andy Jarden and now 26-year-old Te Kiri farmer Warwick Fleming.

They got through the party's pre-selection process on March 11. Another Whanganui nominee, Derek McInnes, was unable to take part. He had not been a party member for the required six months and was not granted a waiver from that requirement.

In the pre-selection process the four had separate one-hour interviews, followed by difficult questions. They can expect more of the same in the next 12 days.

The party's long and detailed selection process is no cakewalk, acting electorate chairman Neil Walker said.

"This is a serious job and it's got to be done seriously. We want to know our candidate, and be able to get behind them."

Next the candidates have to meet 60 delegates from across the electorate. They also have to attend five meet-the-candidates meetings, also across Taranaki and Whanganui, before the final selection afternoon in Whanganui's Kingsgate Hotel on March 26.

At the meet-the-candidates meetings they will each make a five-minute speech and be asked questions designed to put them on the spot.

On March 26 each will make a 10-minute speech to the delegates, and answer two more curly questions.

After that comes voting, and it will be preferential voting. Unless one person gets 50 per cent of the vote people will be progressively excluded until one is left.

"It could be quite a lot of drama if several of the candidates are well supported," Mr Walker said.

Whanganui is a difficult electorate, with urban Whanganui having a different economy to the dairy and oil of Taranaki. Taranaki people tended to look toward New Plymouth, Mr Walker said, and Whanganui has only a slight urban edge now that more Taranaki towns are included.

"The MP could be going from a school gala outside Opunake to an important event in Aramoho, and they've got to be well known in the streets of Stratford."