In happier times, Rodney Hide and Heather Roy. Photo / Supplied
Act leader Rodney Hide emphatically denied in Parliament yesterday ever suggesting to another minister that his former deputy, Heather Roy, had used drugs.
He accused Labour of "appalling" behaviour for raising it.
Labour began yesterday what is likely to be the first of many attacks using the explosive private dossier
prepared for Mrs Roy to use at the Act caucus on Tuesday, when she was ousted as deputy by John Boscawen and forced to resign her portfolios, including Associate Defence Minister.
The dossier, leaked to the Herald, reveals a deeply mistrustful relationship between Mrs Roy and Mr Hide. It sets out what she saw as a series of allegations against her by Mr Hide, and her rebuttal of them.
Referring to a conversation she had with Defence Minister Wayne Mapp, Mrs Roy's dossier states: "He said that Rodney Hide had approached him on more than one occasion to tell him things (including a rumour about drug use and other defamatory statements) and to find out information about Defence."
While the paper does not say Mrs Roy was the subject of the drug rumour, Labour MP Pete Hodgson quoted from the document and Trevor Mallard injected Mrs Roy into it, saying, "The question was whether the Minister of Defence had been approached by Mr Hide in relation to rumours of drug use by [Mrs Roy]."
Mr Hide said: "I can emphatically say that I have never approached any minister with concerns about drug use by Heather Roy as alleged by [Mr Mallard]. I think it is appalling that he would say such [a thing]."
Mrs Roy is on leave and did not return the Herald's calls yesterday.
Mr Hide continued to defend himself against the damaging allegations by Mrs Roy that he was a bully and intimidating to her.
The Act leader was concerned at some of the papers, which are thought to have been partly written by Mrs Roy's ministerial adviser Simon Ewing-Jarvie.
Asked if he believed the adviser had had undue influence on her, Mr Hide said: "I think Heather is a good person ... and I think she has been poorly advised."
Former Act MP Deborah Coddington said it seemed the party had descended "into a squabble like children in a sandpit".
"I seriously doubt [the party will survive] but I hope I'm wrong."
Act founder Sir Roger Douglas saw damage but thought the party would survive.
