Panel to review National’s election defeat

WELLINGTON: The National Party has started the review of its election result, announcing a team including the former party president who overhauled the party after its worst result, in 2002.

Judy Kirk, president from 2002 to 2009, is on a panel of five who will examine the 2020 election result which reduced National to 33 MPs.

The panel will look at the performance of the caucus and the party over the three years before the election, as well as its candidate selection.

It will take into account the political environment leading up to the election, and the party's strategy, narrative and execution on the campaign.

The panel will be chaired by businessman Mark Darrow.

Former MP Kate Wilkinson, June McCabe, Jamie Beaton and Ms Kirk are the other panellists.

Party president Peter Goodfellow said the five were selected because they were not involved in running the campaign and knew the party well.

They would have scope to talk to people both within and outside the party as they thought necessary.

The panel was expected to provide recommendations for the next three years and the 2023 campaign.

Confirmation of the details of the review follow the party's annual meeting at the weekend, during which former prime minister Sir John Key gave a blistering speech about the problems the party had got itself into, saying its election result could be put firmly at its own door.

The party was beset by problems after Covid19 arrived in New Zealand from March. It changed its leader from Simon Bridges to Todd Muller after panic about a dive in its polling during the lockdown period.

After Mr Muller stood down, Judith Collins became leader.

A slew of its highestprofile MPs resigned during that period, including Paula Bennett, Amy Adams and Nikki Kaye, while others, such as then CluthaSouthland MP Hamish Walker and Rangitata MP Andrew Falloon, resigned after getting into trouble.

Ms Kirk oversaw the last such review after the 2002 election, and led big changes in the party's constitution, including creating the board model under which it now operates. — The New Zealand Herald