Brash meets with Act MPs as Hide stands firm

Don Brash's letter was 'especially one-sided', said Act leader Rodney Hide. Photo / Mark Mitchell

Don Brash is advancing plans to take over the Act Party's leadership, lobbying for support from caucus members in Auckland today.

But current leader Rodney Hide says he is not resigning and that he is proud of what he has done for the party.

He said he had heard rumours about his resignation but said they were not true.

When asked about Don Brash taking over the party's leadership he said: "I believe Don Brash hasn't even joined the Act Party yet."

Dr Brash's bid seemed to take a blow yesterday when deputy leader John Boscawen said through a spokesman that he backed Mr Hide as leader and would vote for him in a leadership challenge.

MP Hilary Calvert has given a similar assurance, which would give Mr Hide the numbers he needs to maintain majority support in the Act caucus.

But Dr Brash is pressing on with his bid, and Ms Calvert and Sir Roger were seen leaving his apartment this afternoon.

Dr Brash told Newstalk ZB both MPs questioned him at length.

"We had a very constructive conversation. They were clearly keen to know what I had in mind and why I was doing this, and I explained to them my concern was where the country was going."

He would not say whether he had gained their support.

But Dr Brash is expecting a vote on the leadership issue to take place next week.

He hoped to speak in person with Mr Boscawen at some stage, he said.

"I've encouraged them to make a final decision after the market research which I have commissioned is available some time next week," he told Radio New Zealand.

"I'm taking a risk in that because I don't know what the market research will say. If it says I can't do any better for Act than Rodney Hide does then clearly I'll have egg on my face and I'll go back to pruning kiwifruit."

Act MPs have also been meeting individually to discuss the proposition.

It is likely that Dr Brash will have the caucus support of MPs Sir Roger and Heather Roy, but he needs the vote of either Mr Boscawen or Ms Calvert to tip the balance.

Dr Brash said he did not want to speak for the MPs about who they had indicated support for, but agreed there had been a lot of speculation Sir Roger would support him.

"Everyone has assumed that Hilary was supporting Rodney Hide, people have made a lot of assumptions and what I'm saying is I met them both and had a cordial discussion."

Dr Brash said he was still a National Party member, and would be looking at joining Act "shortly". He indicated he wouldn't join Act unless he had the support of caucus to lead the party.

A spokesperson for Mr Hide said speculation on Mr Hide's imminent resignation were baseless rumours, as were media reports of an emergency caucus meeting.

"No, he is not resigning. There is no caucus meeting, there is no press conference at 3pm."

Mr Hide earlier called Dr Brash's bid to take over the leadership "an unprecedented leadership challenge", while dismissing Dr Brash's supporter John Banks as not "an Act person".

In an open letter to Act members and supporters, posted to his Facebook page this morning, Mr Hide also criticised a letter Dr Brash had written to him, outlining his ambitions.

"The letter alarmed me because I thought it was a letter designed to be leaked, as it was especially one-sided," Mr Hide said.

Mr Hide said he had always encouraged Dr Brash to join the Act Party, even before he joined and stood for National in 2002, and again when he lost the leadership of National to John Key in 2006.

Today, the Prime Minister said Mr Hide would be able to keep his ministerial portfolios if rolled as Act leader.