Posted July 30, 2015
If Colin Craig wants any future in politics, he must follow through with his proposed legal action and win.
That’s because the popularity he developed before recent issues arose was based entirely on his perceived integrity and desire for open government. This could be highlighted by the Conservative Party policy of binding referendums.
I’ve commented many times on Craig’s inability to deflect media interviews away from ridiculous topics like the moon landing onto his party’s policies. If he could have done this well, he may well be sitting in Parliament today. But what support he did gain was because of his perceived refreshing honesty, integrity and openness.
That became what he stood for, and subsequently what the Conservatives stood for, whether they knew it or not. If they did, they certainly didn’t make a concerted effort to pump that message out continuously during the Election Campaign.
Craig appears to have lost that image if opinion polls are anything to go by. If he can’t regain it, he’s history. It would be like National losing its reputation among supporters as good economic managers, or the Greens no longer being seen by potential voters as carers of the environment.
That’s why it’s vital that he wins in court. If he withdraws proceedings, or loses, he won’t regain that image. That’s not to say a failure to win would mean he is dishonest or lacks integrity. Far from it. But it would see some potential supporters still question that integrity. That would make it difficult for him to have any successful political future.
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