National's Taranaki candidate quits race in mysterious circumstances

TARANAKI DAILY NEWS/STUFF.CO.NZ: National Party candidate Clem Coxhead has quit the New Plymouth electoral race yesterday in puzzling circumstances.

His bombshell resignation came just four months after he was selected by local party faithful in a public and hard-fought battle.

In a press statement to the Taranaki Daily News, Mr Coxhead said he had stepped down because of "work commitments". He will be helping run his partner's clothing shop in Mangorei Rd, New Plymouth.

However, National Party insiders have told the Taranaki Daily News Mr Coxhead was asked to step aside by party power-brokers at a meeting on Thursday.

Both Mr Coxhead and National Party general manager Mark Oldershaw denied this yesterday.

Mr Oldershaw said Mr Coxhead came to the decision after realising "holding a seat in New Plymouth was a big undertaking".

Talking to the Taranaki Daily News yesterday, surrounded by glittering earrings in the Bella Ladies' Fashions and Accessories shop, the former candidate said he now needed to help the business.

"Things are getting a bit busy so it's better to pull out now and let somebody else in," he said.

"It does seem strange, but as I said I am calling it quits and that's it."

The Taranaki Daily News has also been told that business dealings in Australia could have been behind yesterday's change of mind.

When asked whether that was so, Mr Coxhead said it could be people in Australia who held grudges against him contacting the paper with false information.

"I had a business over there that went in to receivership because of some activities over there that other people were involved in," Mr Coxhead said. "People over there, one of the things they like to do is put pressure on people to muscle in on their business."

He was referring to an airport shuttle business. He also suggested people in the Australian Labour Party held grudges against him.

Mr Coxhead said he was once a campaign manager for the Liberal Party.

"There's some people obviously trying to stir up stuff there, but that's politics," Mr Coxhead said.

"If there is anything over there it could be to do with that."

Mr Coxhead is a former farmer from Opunake and was a real estate salesman when he was chosen for the New Plymouth electorate in February. He said entering politics had been a dream since he was nine years old.

At the time of his selection, the branch was bitterly divided after an attempt to the stack membership with people sympathetic to Waitara leaseholders.

Several high-profile members quit the branch in disgust.

Last night, the president of the New Plymouth branch, Jonathan Marshall, could not be reached by the Taranaki Daily News.

The position for National's new candidate would be advertised from today.

Labour candidate and current New Plymouth MP Harry Duynhoven said Mr Coxhead's resignation was "strange and bizarre. I'm a little surprised".

"It's an interesting situation for them (the National Party) to be in. My understanding is the selection was quite hard fought."

Mr Duynhoven said the loss of his opponent would not change anything for him and he would "continue to do everything I have done for every election".