Fighting over a carcas

The Herald reports:

Self-inflicted body blows continue to batter the Conservative Party, with a newly appointed board suspending the membership of founder, party benefactor and former leader Colin Craig.

And in a further hit to the divided party’s credibility, Craig last night said the new board – and therefore his suspension – was invalid because neither natural justice nor the party’s constitution had been followed at yesterday’s meeting.

“I think any ordinary person will realise a process when you don’t advise the person that you’re considering something, you don’t let them attend, you don’t even give them a chance to respond to allegations, is no proper process,” Craig told the Herald on Sunday. …

The fallout from Craig’s revelations has decimated the party’s board with all but one member, John Stringer, resigning in the past week.

Stringer appointed himself chairman yesterday and created a new board with former electorate candidates Deborah Cunliffe, Mark Pearce and Thomas O’Rourke, and Waikato regional chairman Al Belcher.

“They meet again next month, when they may make a final decision on Craig’s suspension and appoint a leader.

Craig said Stringer’s actions were invalid because he had been suspended from the party by remaining board members on Thursday, which Stringer denied.

“It’s a bit rich of him to accuse us of things he’s done himself. I think he has got bigger issues to resolve than us.”

This is like fighting over the remains of a carcas. Sad.