Photo / Mark MitchellOPINION:The National Party has a major problem with standards, especially amongst its MPs and election candidates. For more on the allegations about Bezzant, see Derek Cheng's National candidate Jake Bezzant cuts ties with party following explosive claims. Another National Party staffer, who didn't work in Smith's office, recorded the verbal altercation and reported the incident to Parliamentary Service (the employer of the National Party staffers)." This issue of quality assurance is also the focus of a column today by political commentator and National Party member Liam Hehir, who argues his party needs to raise standards, but also move away from looking for "stars", especially "flashy and ambitious people claiming glittering careers in industries that themselves are known to have toxic cultures" – see: Reforming the National Party. Finally, for satire on the state of National, see my blog post: Cartoons about the National Party since the election (updated).

Source: New Zealand Herald June 04, 2021 02:48 UTC