Caygill misses out again

Stuff reports:

Poto Williams has been chosen to represent Labour in November’s Christchurch East by-election.

Williams was selected by a six-member panel, equally made up of national and local representatives, and was personally greeted by new Labour leader David Cunliffe in Christchurch this afternoon.

Labour Party members were given the chance to have their say in the ballot, held at the New Brighton Rugby Clubrooms.

Panel members included Labour president Moira Coatsworth.

Williams was chosen over James Caygill, Karen Hayes, Christina Laalaai-Tausa, Tina Lomax and Deon Swiggs.

I’m disappointed but not surprised James Caygill missed out. No one who knows Caygill doubts that if he became an MP, he would be a very good one and inevitably become a senior Minister. Caygill has now missed out twice on Labour selections.

While Labour have introduced a more democratic leadership election process, their candidate selection process gives local members very little say. The typical National Party selection panel consists of 60+ grass roots members and no one from head office. Labour has a six person panel with three head office appointments so the vote of each local member is worth around 1/100th the vote of a a head office person.

Williams bio is on Linked In. What is interesting is her career appears to have been in Auckland for at least the last ten years, and she only took up a job in Christchurch around six months ago.