English looks to seabed

By AUDREY YOUNG political editor

National leader Bill English will attempt to stamp a firm political footprint in the foreshore and seabed ownership debate during his speech to the party's annual conference today, and try to forget the criticisms of maverick MP Maurice Williamson which plagued day one.

Mr English will propose a private member's bill to assert the Crown's ownership in the foreshore and seabed - a decision the Government has backed away from in the face of a Maori backlash.

Most MPs in Mr English's caucus say he is performing better, but some believe he has not exploited an issue they say is tailor-made for the party's theme of "one citizenship for all".

The conference, in Christchurch, began with the sort of attention any leader hates - on the opposition within. Mr English spent the first day responding to Mr Williamson's suggestion that the leader should have a performance agreement like a company's chief executive.

The idea is that Mr English should be measured by polling targets and that the job be terminated if, say, 30 per cent polling is not reached in six months (it has moved between 23 per cent and 28 per cent in the past two months).

Mr English showed no enthusiasm for the idea: "We are tested by public opinion every day. I am tested by the caucus, tested by the party membership, tested by the media."

He told the delegates that he was beginning to see "the old confidence of the National Party starting to come back".

But a TV3 NFO poll last night of 250 National supporters indicated that there was internal dissatisfaction with the party's efforts.

* Asked if National's woes were down to Labour doing a good job or National failing to offer a serious alternative, 14 per cent thought Labour was doing well and 67 per cent blamed National.

* Asked if National was clear about what it stood for, 62 per cent said no and 33 per cent said yes.

* Asked whether NZ First leader Winston Peters would make a better leader for National, 36 per cent said yes and 60 per cent no.