-
Related
The National Party expects to have confirmed nearly all its candidates by the end of April, and will replace many of the old guard with fresh faces.
This election National says it will have a different look, incorporating younger candidates, more Maori, and more women.
"The values of the party haven't changed, the vehicle delivering the values and the message to deliver those values has changed", said Dale Stephens, National's Ohariu-Belmont candidate.
Environmentalist Guy Salmon, standing as a list MP, is being taken as a sign that National is campaigning for the green vote.
"Every party needs to renew periodically. We'd been in government for nine years and we'd lost some very experienced politicians", said Michelle Boag, National president.
List MP Max Bradford will not be standing for re-election in 2002.
He is not impressed by Boag's public call for the old guard to move aside.
"It's just unfortunate what she did and it's quite hurtful to a number of us who were contemplating retirement", said Bradford.
Ousted MP Brian Neeson says National is no longer the same party he joined.
"It's got a bit harder, the edges are a bit harder."
Others are optimistic about the changes.
"National's quite open... that it lost its way in the last term... it's come back to roost, and it's looking for expertise," said Craig Foss, National Candidate for Tukituki.
