I didn’t like the way Cameron Slater conducted a campaign against the Conservative Party and I still don’t. However it appears Slater was right about Craig and all those who defended him were wrong.
Whereas I recognised that Craig had feet of clay, I never thought those weaknesses would extend as far as has been revealed by his admission that he was in fact the Mr. X used in a recent pamphlet to make numerous allegations about his political opponents.
This was an inexcusable exercise in deceit and no one capable of such deceit (and utter inexplicable foolishness) should be in the NZ parliament. Who could ever trust this man again in any matter?
Prior to the election, while recognising at least some of Craig’s weaknesses, I supported the idea of a new party to act as a marker for the future destruction of the two main socialist / progressive parties National and Labour.
Much in the way the UKIP has risen in the UK, and Donald Trump has in the US. While I may see major flaws in both of those options, its worth supporting them initially at least for the reason that they will break the one party monopoly, in the UK between Labour and the Conservatives, and in the US between the Democrats and Republicans.
I still support that option.
However I cannot support any party that allows Colin Craig any political power. If the Conservative Party reforms and runs again, it will have a massive task in recovering from the damage done by Craig. It will be interesting to see if they can do it.
TrueblueNZ 
10 responses to “Colin Craig makes Cameron Slater right and Craig’s defenders wrong”
Well, Chuck Bird said the Conservative Party is dead. I think he’s probably right. He said this on the conservative blog when it existed.
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Red. Have we seen anything in writing from Colin Craig admitting the Mr X thing? If it is true he has let a lot of his party supporters down (including me) and over more than the Mr X brain explosion.
To give Slater credit over an admission to being Mr X is tantamount to saying Slater is clean and knew more than anyone else all along. Slater did not know and has no credibility in my opinion.
What possessed Colin to use a Mr X is beyond me because he did not need to. Who on earth has he been getting advice from in the last year or two? I suspect it has been himself calling the shots. If so that is a big mistake.
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KC- Craig has openly admitted to being Mr X a few times verbally and I’m pretty sure in writing in various statements. He attempted to deflect criticism by describing it as a writing technique or device or something like that.
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Cheers Red
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Yes I am one that got taken in by Colin. But one unwise blunder after another with the media and enough is enough. Colin Craigs and John Stringers ego fuelled war to prove themselves right was just a narcissistic race to the bottom, consequences be dammed.
But let us remember all of this nonsense has nothing to do with the Conservative Party.
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“nothing to do with the Conservative Party”, surely you jest.
Colin the face – and the funder – of the party. Colin the leader, John on the board, which appears to have had no teeth. Lawsuits flying which include party officials, some of whom just happen to also be CC employees. Seemingly improper processes prior to and during the recent poorly promoted AGM.
Like most people (I suspect) who voted Conservatives, I feel betrayed.
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I got the last newsletter from the Conservatives even though I am not a member or involved. Did anyone not see Gordon Copelands name on it? It is clear to me the church has control of the party. That on its own is a kiss of death.
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Well in the last two elections I knew the Conservatives wouldn’t get 5% or an electorate seat. Despite this their were many people saying otherwise. So I never gave them my party vote. I honestly think that its just too hard for a small party. Case in point NZ First is the 4th largest party and has been going for 21 years or so, and they are only a few percent points above 5%. All the smaller parties have less than 2%.
So as long as this is the case, I think it is going to be hard for any party to get that 5%. And it doesn’t help that their’s already all these other parties, United Future, Act, Maori already in parliament wanting your vote. So if they were to get rid of the electorate seat rule, and say you have to get 5% whether or not you get the electorate seat, and some of these other parties were to fold. If they were to say, that if you get less than 5% you can’t stand the next election, you must give someone else a chance, yes then things might be different.
Until and unless these sort of changes occur, I know that any new party will find it difficult to get that 5%.
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“I knew the Conservatives wouldn’t get 5% or an electorate seat…. So I never gave them my party vote.”
A self-defeating self-fulfilling prophecy right there. Voting is not about picking a winner but expressing a preference, more so than ever under MMP where smaller parties can have some influence.
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So many people unhappy with the two progressive party status quo gave Craig a pretty high level of support, and he ended up pissing all over them.
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