Three contenders seek Labour Party’s top job

The Labour Party presidency is officially a three-horse race.

Labour’s Ma¯ ori senior vice-president Tane Phillips, Habitat for Humanity chief executive Claire Szabo and South Islander Lorna Crane are vying for the party’s top job, which will be decided at its annual conference in Whanganui, early next month.

Phillips and Szabo are understood to be the front runners.

Although Phillips holds a senior position, Szabo is considered by some Labour Party insiders to have a good chance.

The young NGO executive is well connected and some consider she would bring a fresh leadership, which may pull favour with the Labour caucus vote, which will be keen to shed the recent cloud of sexual assault allegations.

It is likely all the candidates will be staying clear of airing any opinion on the scandal.

The position opened after former president Nigel Haworth resigned during the furore over the party’s handling of the allegations against a former parliamentary staffer.

The three presidential contenders must win a vote on the floor of the conference.

Those accusations are now under review and will not be completed until shortly after the presidency election.

The party’s temporary new boss, Tracey McLellan, was on an internal panel that has come in for heavy criticism for dismissing initial bullying and harassment complaints.

It is understood the majority of the current members on the governing body of the party have been automatically re-elected because they were unopposed.

Only the council’s women’s vice president position is up for grabs, with incumbent Fleur Fitzsimons (a Wellington City councillor) going up against nurse Monina Hernansez.

The three presidential contenders must win a vote on the floor of the conference and will currently be trying to drum up votes with the parliamentary wing of the party, unions and constituency electorate committees.