Brash orders end to infighting

National leader Don Brash (left), with John Key. Picture / Glenn Jeffrey

Don Brash was yesterday forced to tell his caucus to pull their heads in and form a united front, after a fresh round of sparring between senior MPs.

It followed what appeared to be a public warning shot by finance spokesman John Key towards an unnamed senior MP.

The MP, quoted as a source, had accused Mr Key in the Weekend Herald of encouraging media speculation about the leadership and claimed the caucus was furious with the finance spokesman.

Mr Key rejected the claims then, but appeared to raise the stakes yesterday by telling reporters he knew exactly who the person - "it's more in the singular than the plural" - was.

He had no plans to name or confront the person, as there was no substance to the claims, he said.

But the salvo was a clear warning.

Asked if the person had leadership aspirations of their own, Mr Key said: "You've been around politics longer than I have so you can make your own assessment."

Mr Key's comments, delivered as he arrived yesterday at the start of National's three-day caucus retreat in Taupo, signalled on-going internal friction over the leadership issue.

Party leader Don Brash, arriving minutes after Mr Key, was determined to close the subject, repeatedly refusing to acknowledge there was an issue over the leadership. He was, however, forced to concede he'd have to caution the caucus about the bickering, after being told what Mr Key had said.

Dr Brash said later he had "indicated [to the caucus] the great importance of caucus discipline and caucus unity and avoiding stories which are destructive to the National Party".

"The National Party spent most of the afternoon talking about the election that has just gone and the policies we want to run for the benefit of all New Zealanders. But I stressed the fact that caucus ill-discipline does not help us defeat the Government.

"I made it clear to the caucus that I want discipline and unity and that I do not want gossip and rumour destroying what is a very important programme for the next three days."

A TV3 poll last night, meanwhile, showed nearly two-thirds - 60 per cent - of National voters want Dr Brash to keep the leadership.

A total 33 per cent of National voters, however, want him replaced, a larger margin than the National leader would consider comfortable.

Perhaps even less comforting for Dr Brash and other aspiring leaders was the clear-cut result, again among National voters, when asked who should replace Dr Brash if there was a change.

The poll showed overwhelming support - 53 per cent - for John Key in the top job.

Former leader Bill English rated well behind on 11 per cent, with deputy leader Gerry Brownlee on 4 per cent and Simon Power on 3 per cent.

Dr Brash refused to discuss yesterday whether he had spoken to Mr Key about which MP was bad-mouthing him or whether he knew who it was.

He said the caucus would map out a work programme today and tomorrow. It had discussed the election briefly yesterday.

"I think the real issue in the election was not why did we not quite win, but why did we come so close to winning despite the fact that unemployment was low and house prices were going up. I think traditionally Governments don't get voted in when the economy is fairly buoyant." 


Nuclear shutdown

National's Foreign Affairs spokesman Murray McCully is today set to urge his caucus to change its controversial policy on nuclear-propelled warships in favour of simply endorsing Government policy.

Under current policy National has reserved the right to reverse the ban on nuclear-propelled warships if backed by a referendum.

Mr McCully, never an advocate of removing the ban, will encourage the caucus to drop references to a referendum or any other further review of the policy in favour of supporting the status quo.

The nuclear issue dogged National through its last term and played a key role in Labour's successful election campaign attacks.

Polls have shown voters don't support nuclear-law reform and there also appears to have been confusion about what National's stance actually was, after a series of perceived flip-flops.

National leader Don Brash also faced embarrassment when he was accused by Labour of telling a group of United States senators that if it was up to him, the ban would be "gone by lunchtime".

Mr McCully is understood to have been charged with wiping the issue from the party's agenda when Dr Brash put him in charge of the foreign affairs portfolio.