Brash not content with second-best

By AUDREY YOUNG

National's finance spokesman, Don Brash, may harbour ambitions but he does not want to be deputy leader of the party.

Supporters of leader Bill English are thought to be promoting the idea of elevating Dr Brash to the No 2 post to stop further destabilising leadership speculation - and to give him a job that demands loyalty to the leader.

But Dr Brash supports Roger Sowry's remaining in the position.

"He is doing a good job," Dr Brash said yesterday.

And the man who served as Reserve Bank Governor for 14 years does not believe he is suited to being deputy.

"The particular qualities and qualifications needed to be deputy are not the ones that I can best contribute," he said.

"I think to be deputy, ideally you need to be able to manage the caucus inside Parliament and play a pretty active role in caucus management.

"Whereas I think my contribution is probably more outside, promoting the National Party message.

"At this point at least, I don't have any aspirations to be deputy leader."

He would not comment on whether he had been approached by supporters of Mr English to settle for No 2.

Dr Brash's own ambitions are sure to have been boosted by two polls a week ago, both of which propelled him into the preferred Prime Minister's stakes after a fortnight of leadership speculation.

During that time, Dr Brash said he was not mounting a challenge but he believed the issue had to be resolved before long and did not rule out leadership in the future.

Mr Sowry did not want to speak about the deputy leadership but said his job was safe.