MP Alfred Ngaro is by all accounts a thoroughly decent bloke but his plan to form a new faith-based political party is doomed if the real reason for its creation is to create a coalition partner for the National party. For a start, Michelle Boag is lurking in the background, and secondly, Ngaro is a list MP so he doesn’t have an established following of voters to follow him to his new party. His chances of winning an electorate are remote.
quote.[…] Ngaro, […] is considering splitting to form a Christian-based party. There has been speculation it’s a deliberate ploy by National to create a coalition partner, with ACT stuck with a single MP and its share of the party vote falling in recent elections.end quote.
Ngaro says that’s not true […]
But he admits [ it] would add to growing congestion for the Christian conservative vote. Coalition NZ, a new party led by Destiny Church matriarch Hannah Tamaki, entered the fray this week […]
Ngaro says history suggests they’ll need to team up if they’re to breach the 5 percent threshold required to enter Parliament without an electorate seat.
[…]The best any Christian party has managed […] was the Conservative Party’s 4 percent in 2014.
[…] Ngaro says he’s yet to decide if he’ll lead the new party, should it happen. But he wants to make a decision soon.
Newshub.
The big danger with the strategy of creating a coalition partner for National is that it could be responsible (if it fails) for a good chunk of wasted vote.
If Bridges and McClay are behind this then it is poor strategic planning on their part as it is likely to lead to
- Another MP having to leave the party
- A new political threat emerging
- A likely reduction in votes for National
- Still no coalition partner
Even worse is that it is clear that if Ngaro goes ahead, the party Bridges will be relying upon as a Coalition partner will be part of a coalition of Christian parties that includes Coalition NZ.
Do National’s strategists really think that it is a good idea to be propped up by a party that has the financial backing of Brian Tamaki?