By Ellen Curnow of The Westport News
File photos. Sue Grey, left, and Liz Gunn. Photo: RNZ
Fringe party leaders and former allies Sue Grey and Liz Gunn appear to be fighting a turf war over the West Coast-Tasman electorate.
Grey is co-leader of both the Outdoors and Freedom Party and umbrella party Freedoms NZ. Gunn leads newly formed NZ Loyal.
The two women last year worked together on the "Baby W" case, defending a couple who refused life-saving heart treatment for their child if doctors couldn't guarantee the baby received only blood from people who hadn't had the Covid-19 vaccine.
The judge eventually ordered the baby should be turned over to doctors' care and have the surgery.
The relationship between Grey and Gunn appears to have since fractured.
Grey has bit back after hints and allegations Gunn made at a meeting near Westport on Friday. Gunn told a group of about 60 people she had "deeply trusted" Grey until Grey's Outdoors and Freedom Party president Alan Simmons "completely, viciously attacked" her.
Grey yesterday told The News she was shocked to hear Gunn had publicly bagged her.
"I did work very constructively with Liz during the "Baby W" case, and I went and supported her when she was facing charges by the police, went to Auckland. And I was extremely surprised and disappointed when she decided, at a very late stage, to stand a candidate against me."
Grey is this year's West Coast-Tasman Candidate for Outdoors and Freedom. NZ Loyal is standing Sebastian Marinkovich.
Grey told The News she thought Gunn's motives were more "spiteful" than "public interest".
Simmons called Gunn "Liz Disloyal Gunn" for standing the candidate and said it would split the "freedom" vote. Grey said Simmons lived in the North Island and she had no control over what he posted on social media.
She told The News the two parties had very similar policies.
"I've done a lot of work on the West Coast and Tasman for decades."
Grey said she thought the electorate was unhappy with both Labour and National's recent performance. People she was speaking to were enthusiastic about change.
"But, of course, it's really difficult if there are too many candidates saying reasonably similar things."
Gunn also hinted at the Westport meeting that Grey and Freedoms NZ co-leader Brian Tamaki must be "okay" with the government because their party launch was covered on television news and hers wasn't.
Grey said she had no control over what the media decided to show up to and what it didn't.
- This story was first published in The Westport News
