NATIONAL SUPPORTERS SHOW THEIR TRUE COLOURS

A leopard never changes its spots and so it seems National Party grassroot supporters can't shake the shackles of conservatism, class and culture. A travesty occurred in the weekend when the National Party failed to elect Sir Wira Gardiner as Party President.

700 supporters converged on Christchurch to choose a replacement for Judy Kirk. Alas blue supporters stayed true to form and voted in Peter Goodfellow.

Goodfellow from old-farming money represents the quintessential nat voter, a conformist, a conventionalist and a capitalist.

It was an opportunity gone begging for the Party to increase numbers by attracting numbers from the centre both Pakeha and Maori. But no it seems the back-room fire-stokers want a return to the right of the not too distant old days.

Prime Minister John Key is a kean supporter of Sir Wira - after all the former Army Lieutenant Colonel from Ngati Awa assisted the Government in its coalition with the Maori Party. John Key the pragmatist sees the bigger nation-hood picture that includes Maori as an integral part of the country's future. But New Zealanders don't like change, especially conservatives who hold fast to the status-quo, they have more to lose. So when the opportunity arose for the nat-roots to revert back to type they hurriedly did so.

National may rue the day they turned their back on a bold new frontier that includes both signatories to the Treaty. Middle New Zealand is after change the nat-roots should have riden the wave of change. An opportunity gone begging.