He was likely to become a cabinet minister because his majority was impenetrable. Instead, Mr Barclay will leave Parliament as a discredited young man, heading to London before the election on Saturday. As a sitting MP, he is still entitled to his $160,000-a-year salary with a taxpayer-subsidised travel and car. There are other benefits he and other retiring or defeated MPs are entitled to.
Clutha-Southland constituents have been done a disservice by Mr Barclay because they were told he would remain an MP until the election and would continue to carry out his usual duties and represent his community. Apart from some messages on Facebook regarding easing congestion in Frankton, Mr Barclay has been keeping a low profile.
He will leave New Zealand seeking employment opportunities, although it unlikely his current boss Prime Minister Bill English will go out of his way to write him a reference.
Nevertheless, former MPs have a way of popping up overseas in various roles, probably because of the skills that got them elected in the first place. Mr Barclay has previously worked in the corporate world and could well find a well-paid position overseas.
The one-term MP was caught up in a scandal of his own making. He secretly recorded a staff member who had previously worked for Mr English.
Mr Barclay had the option of hiring all new staff when he took over as the electorate MP from Mr English. Because Mr English was away from the electorate such a lot — in fact living in Wellington — staff took on his roles, often attending meetings on his behalf.
The arrival of a new MP shook the foundations of the stable electorate. A split emerged among loyal members and some disquiet was expressed about Mr Barclay putting a lot of energy into Queenstown, when the power of the electorate was in the South.
It always was going to be messy as Mr Barclay had a sense of entitlement which went way beyond that of a first-term MP. He used his first election campaign to try to bully media into not writing about his former links with a tobacco company. Instead, he wanted the media to emphasise his links with the rural community, tenuous as they were.
The pressures of a job for life obviously became too hard for Mr Barclay to handle. His reselection was dogged by controversy and senior Government MPs flew down to provide their support in person, as well as on social media.
One of the major problems for Clutha-Southland National Party members was Mr Barclay’s love for visiting other electorates. He was popular with colleagues. He was often snapped meeting MPs in such places as Hutt South and the Coromandel. When drastic changes to Telford were announced, Mr Barclay seemed caught unawares in the North Island. An electorate MP who cares would have known something was amiss just by talking to the people who elected him.
Eventually, someone pushed the message home to Mr Barclay — he was not welcome any more and he announced his resignation. Mr Barclay does have skills, otherwise he would not have been selected or elected. It is hoped he can put those skills to good use in the wider global market.
Despite the disappointment of some of his once supporters about his departure, it is important he leaves without ill will from the electorate or from him towards those who worked against him. He needs to get on with the rest of his life and learn from his mistakes.Clutha-Southland will have a new MP next Saturday and National needs to put the past behind it. The new MP must work for all constituents, not just the favoured few.
