Blackmail, says Anderton as Alliance splinters

By AUDREY YOUNG, political reporter

Alliance leader Jim Anderton last night accused his party's governing body of blackmail, increasing speculation that a split in Labour's coalition partner is inevitable.

At the same time, he refused to confirm that he would stand under the Alliance banner at the election.

His comments came at the end of a day on which the poisoned relations within the party spilled into the public arena to an extent never seen before.

* Party president Matt McCarten said Mr Anderton's refusal to attend a weekend party council meeting was an "abdication of leadership".

* Alliance minister Matt Robson said some council members were like rotten apples and should be thrown out of the party.

* Democrats leader Grant Gillon said he would recommend that his party stop paying its contributions to Alliance funds.

* Mr Anderton said an MPs' fund meant for campaigning had "become a desperate means of blackmailing people".

The war of words, which could intensify at today's party caucus, was sparked by a meeting of the party's ruling council at the weekend which refused to endorse Mr Robson's candidacy until he restored a 10 per cent salary tithe to a council-controlled fund.

Mr Robson was one of seven of the 10 Alliance MPs who diverted their tithes into a caucus fund as factions developed last year around the caucus support for the war in Afghanistan.

After weeks of infighting between the Anderton moderates and the McCarten leftists, a fragile truce was reached in December.

Mr Robson earns $162,600 a year as a minister. His tithe would be $197 a week on the basis of 10 per cent of his after-tax salary. Over 13 weeks that would have reached $2564.

The council had expected that tithes would be restored before this month's council meeting but this did not happen.

Yesterday, Mr Anderton, who is also Deputy Prime Minister, criticised the leadership of Mr McCarten, who chaired the council meeting.

Mr McCarten actually tried to persuade the council to endorse Mr Robson but lost in the 20-7 vote.

He said Mr Anderton's refusal to attend the council meeting was an abdication of leadership.

He described Mr Robson as intemperate and irresponsible.

Mr Robson is trying to incite revolt among ordinary members. He wants council members to resign or, failing that, he wants party members and sector groups to throw them out in the next few months.

Asked if his party was heading for a split, Mr Robson said it would not be an even split.

"I'd put it more like 'if you've got an apple that's rotten ... it's best to get it out and the rest of the apples are okay'."

Mr Robson said his concerns were with a small group on the council.

"They do have a paper majority, but they're not there with unlimited powers.

"They are there to act in a proper way on behalf of members."



Mr Gillon said he would not restore his tithe "to people who are using my salary against me".



He believed that the Democrats had been unfairly treated by the levy decisions and that his party's members effectively pay twice.

He said he had recommended to his executive that the party stop paying its contribution to the Alliance until the matter was resolved.

He said Democrats paid $25 subscriptions through Alliance branches but on Sunday the council resolved that the party headquarters also had to pay a $25 levy per member. "It's double-dipping."

Asked last night if his party was headed for a split, Mr Anderton said: "I wouldn't like to see that. The Alliance has come a long way and we have played a very important role in Government.

"But there has to be some acknowledgment by some members of the council that being in Government is different from being in Opposition."

Mr Anderton said the caucus fund would be used for campaigning.

"That's what it was always supposed to be for. Now it has become a desperate means of blackmailing people."

Asked if he would be standing for the Alliance, he said: "The Alliance that has the policy position I've stood for here, and the Alliance that supports a stable progressive centre-left Government, yes.

"But if there's another Alliance that has a sort of extreme view that we're all going to march over the horizon to some glorious defeat waving a flag of rebellion, that seems to me to be silly, juvenile politics."