The National Party’s review of the disastrous electoral result is announced

The National Party has begun a review of its electoral result, announcing a team that includes the former president of the party that reformed the party after its worst result in 2002.

Judy Kirk, the president from 2002 to 2009, is on a panel of five that will investigate the outcome of the 2020 elections that reduced National to 33 MPs, including caucus and party performance during the three years leading up to the election, as well as your selection of candidates.

It will take into account the political environment leading up to the elections and the strategy, narrative and execution of the party in the campaign.

The panel will be chaired by businessman Mark Darrow.

Former MP Kate Wilkinson, June McCabe, Jamie Beaton and Kirk are other panelists. Party chairman Peter Goodfellow said they were selected because they were not involved in running the campaign and they knew the party well. They would have scope to speak to people both inside and outside the party, as they saw fit.

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

A draft report was expected by the end of January next year and a final report a year later.

“There is no doubt that 2020 was a difficult year for the National Party and it would be foolish not to comprehensively review all aspects of our approach to the campaign and our work during the last legislature.”

Confirmation of the details of the review follows the party’s annual general meeting at the weekend, in which former Prime Minister Sir John Key delivered a searing speech about the trouble the party had gotten into, saying the result of your choice could be put firmly on your own doorstep. . He told the deputies to stop filtering or to leave the party.

The party was beset with trouble after Covid-19 hit New Zealand in March, changing its leader from Simon Bridges to Todd Muller after panic over a drop in their polls during the lockdown period. After Muller retired, Judith Collins stepped in as the leader.

A slew of his highest-profile MPs also resigned during that period, including Paula Bennett, Amy Adams and Nikki Kaye, while other MPs resigned after getting into trouble like Hamish Walker and Andrew Falloon.

Kirk oversaw the last such review after the 2002 elections and led major changes to the party’s constitution, including the creation of the board model under which it now operates.

She was helped by Steven Joyce, who was appointed general secretary.