Three seek Nat. Party presidency

Press, 29 March 1982, Page 6

Three seek Nat. Party presidency

PA ■ • . Auckland Three persons plan to contest the presidency of the National Party. The 'latest contender to confirm his bid for the post is Mr P; N. Baker, chairman of the .Auckland division of the party. - ' • His rivals will -be the party's vice-president, Mrs Sue'Wood, of Auckland, and the party's Waikato divisional treasurer and chairman of the party’s divisional policy committee, ,Mr Egan Ogier, of Katikati.

The party’s president, Mr George Chapman, intends to retire this year. Mr . Ogier is a former chairman of the party’s Wellington division and can probably rely on gaining the Waikato division’s nomination for the presidency. The decision of the Wellington division could well hold the key to the result of thp.-'.contest, according to the

"New Zealand Herald" newspaper.

A source . close to . the party’s national headquarters said yesterday, “It looks like support-in other divisions is split between Egan Ogier and Sue Wood.” .The source said’that Mrs Wood had considerable support in Wellington, probably enough to win the nomination for the presidency at the Wellington division’s conference in May. Delegates to the Auckland division’s conference about a week later could face a dilemma if it comes down to choosing between two local but highly placed officials: their own chairman for the last two years, Mr Baker, and the unsuccessful parliamentary ■ .candidate for Onehunga, Mrs Wood. Mr Baker, a South Auckland dairy farmer and a company director, said that if he failed in his bid for the Auckland nomination for the

presidency, he would have to consider his position. “If Mrs Wood gets the Wellington nomination, it will make it easier for me. She is already in and does not need the nomination,” he said.

Another party source said. “The strongest contender at this moment is Egan Ogier. If Sue Wood beats him in Wellington, that will weaken his position.”

The source said that the selection race might reach the stage where Mr Ogier was seen as the “hardnosed businessman-Conserva-tive” and Mrs Wood-as “the trendy city Liberal. Mr Baker will not fit either mould.”

The source said that Mr Baker would be seen as the chairman of the Auckland division and that some sections of the party in the south disliked Auckland’s dominance.