23 Nov 2020

National Party announces terms of reference for election campaign review

7:22 pm on 23 November 2020

The National Party has announced its terms of reference for a review into its 2020 election campaign.

No caption

National Party president Peter Goodfellow made the announcement today. Photo: RNZ / Dom Thomas

The review will be done by five panel members including former party president Judy Kirk and former National minister Kate Wilkinson.

It will look at preparations for the campaign, including candidate selection, the narrative, and the caucus' performance.

"There is no doubt that 2020 was a difficult year for the National Party, and we would be foolish not to comprehensively review every aspect of our approach to the campaign and our work throughout the last term of Parliament. Our party membership rightly expects this, and we will deliver on it," party president Peter Goodfellow said.

Former National MP Kate Wilkinson.

Photo: NZ Parliament

"We are committed to utilising the review results to help shape this next term, to carry out the work and changes required to position the party well into the future, and to ensure these improvements are implemented for the 2023 campaign itself."

The review terms of reference will examine:

  • Preparations throughout the three-year term by all elements of the party, including candidate selection and Caucus performance
  • The election campaign including the political environment, strategy, narrative and execution
  • The strategic internal, social, and economic challenges and opportunities facing the National Party in the next term
  • Improvement recommendations for the next three years and the 2023 campaign

"The review panel are asked to focus on areas that the party has or could have control over and can effect positive change on. The panel has a wide mandate to seek inputs from individuals within, and external to, the party as they feel appropriate and are also asked to explore any areas they deem important,'' Goodfellow said.

The panel will be chaired by Mark Darrow, and include Jamie Beaton and June McCabe, along with Wilkinson and Kirk.

Final submissions for the campaign review close on 21 December 2020.

A draft report is due back by 25 January 2021, with a final report received on 22 February 2021.

Get the RNZ app

for ad-free news and current affairs