National able to choose Selwyn candidate

NZPA / STUFF.CO.NZ: National has cleared the legal hurdles blocking it from choosing a candidate for the South Island seat of Selwyn.

Disgruntled National Party candidate Roger Payne yesterday lost his High Court challenge to the process which saw him shut out of the contest.

Mr Payne won an injunction last month preventing National from proceeding with selection meetings in the new blue-ribbon electorate.

He argued that National had breached the Electoral Act and principles of natural justice by following an undemocratic process.

The High Court judgment said the National Party board was entitled to block candidates it believed were not suitable as long as it was democratically elected.

The party had explained to the court why it did not believe Mr Payne was suitable, but the court said even that was not necessary.

Mr Payne contested the selection of National MP Brian Connell in 2002 and subsequently tried to have the selection overturned by questioning the validity of Mr Connell's CV.

This time Mr Payne was the only one of nine candidates to be dumped from the pre-selection phase without an interview.

The decision means National can go ahead with its delayed Selwyn selection meetings. The selection is a five-way contest after National MP David Carter pulled out after complaints about his selection. He will stand on the party list.

Among those standing are Environment Canterbury councillor Angus McKay and Alex McKinnon, the nephew of former National deputy prime minister Don McKinnon.

Last year Mr Carter, National's agriculture spokesman, was selected unopposed but selection was reopened when 35 party members complained that other candidates were pressured to stand aside.

The Selwyn electorate takes in rural areas of Banks Peninsula, including Mr Carter's farm, and much of Mr Connell's Rakaia electorate, after last year's boundary changes.

Mr Connell is retiring at the next election after spending much of this term suspended from the National caucus.