Adams believes he has as good a chance as independent

MP Paul Adams reckons he has about as good a chance winning the East Coast Bays electorate as an independent as he would have on the United Future ticket.

Mr Adams has split from United Future and his daughter Sharee Adams, a former Miss New Zealand beauty queen, is joining him. Ms Adams was also on the United Future party list but has quit to help him campaign.

A rally car driver and pastor at City Impact Church, Mr Adams did not say why he was unhappy with United Future, explaining his decision as a wish to "put people back into politics" and to face a new challenge.

He said he believed it was possible to be a better electorate MP as an independent because he would not be "bogged down or tied up with parties."

"I had 11 portfolios when I represented United Future. I don't believe you can have the ability to do the work for the electorate as well."

His policies would be the same as United Future's, which he said he was instrumental in developing.

He believed his chances of returning to Parliament as an independent were equal to his chances of returning on United Future's list, had he stayed.

In a statement yesterday Mr Adams said he had lived in East Coast Bays for 28 years. It was where he had raised his four children and he hoped to give the electorate a voice.

"Some may say what can one person achieve? To them I say this -- did Mother Teresa make a difference? Did Sir Peter Blake make a difference? While I do not put myself in that league I aspire to their dedication and their example."

In July Mr Adams was ranked 10 on the party list.

He said at the time his position had not changed significantly -- he was on the list at nine in 2002 but moved up to eight when MP Kelly Chal failed to satisfy citizenship requirements and her election was declared invalid.

On present polling Mr Adams was unlikely to get into Parliament with United Future.

It has been polling less than the five per cent threshold in party vote support, its survival in Parliament dependent on party leader Peter Dunne retaining his Ohariu-Belmont electorate seat.

United Future seems unlikely to repeat its spectacular effort in the 2002 election, when television appearances by Mr Dunne helped the centrist "common sense" party win eight seats.

Mr Adams has thanked Mr Dunne and party colleagues for their support but said yesterday it was time to go it alone.

Mr Dunne played down the division assuring reporters that the split was contained to the Adams's as he had canvassed his other MPs who were all loyal.

He admitted the timing was bad for his party and could cloud coverage of United Future's health policy launched yesterday.

"I would have preferred the timing to be better but then there are many things in life that I would have preferred to have happened other ways."

Mr Dunne said he had asked Mr Adams to reconsider and had several discussions with him.

"They were very amicable, he simply wants to be a representative for his own local area and that's fine, that's his choice... There was certainly no rancour or bitterness or anything of that nature about it.

"I'm sorry he's made that decision, but that's life and we move on."

Mr Adams said he had first discussed standing as an independent with United Future a year ago and had told the party of his final decision on Friday.

His announcement comes before the August 23 deadline for final nominations for electorate and list MPs to be received by the Chief Electoral Officer or returning officers.

The East Coast Bays electorate is held by National MP Murray McCully with a majority of 1534 votes.

At the last election, Mr Adams won 2872 votes in the electorate out of a total 31,789 votes counted.

- NZPA