Exclusive Brethren 'tried to split NZ First' [+audio]

Ron Mark

It has been claimed the Exclusive Brethren tried to split New Zealand First in a bid to get National into power last year.

New Zealand First MP Ron Mark says his party came under extreme pressure from the religious group immediately after the election.

The church was seeking a National, New Zealand First, United Future, Maori Party coalition.

Mr Mark claims the Brethren asked him to convince Winston Peters to do a deal with National Party leader Don Brash.

Failing that, he says the church wanted him and two or three of his colleagues to break away and do a deal with Dr Brash themselves.

Mr Mark rejected the idea and was surprised Brethren members persisted with it for as long as they did.

He said a group of Brethren members first approached him before the election to gauge NZ First's policies on moral issues such as homosexuality and prostitution.

He next heard from them once government forming negotiations had begun after the election.

"After the election they wanted us to do a deal with National and they pushed hard and lobbied hard and pressured hard for that," he said on National Radio today.

He said members called when National was wooing the Maori Party and it appeared there could be a 57-57 deadlock between Labour and National-led blocs to form a government, with NZ First holding the deciding votes.

"I'm absolutely convinced and you won't convince me any other way that they were talking to National. I'm pretty sure they mentioned it on a couple of occasions.

"Their information was to up to the minute for them not to be co-ordinated, not to be discussing what was happening."

The church members also encouraged Mr Mark to break away from NZ First leader Winston Peters if he decided to go with Labour.

Mr Mark said he received several calls on the matter.

"There was no offer of money, but the pressure was definitely being exerted."

He was not aware of other NZ First MPs being contacted.

National Party leader Don Brash this week severed ties with the Exclusive Brethren after concerns in his caucus about his continuing association with the secretive sect.

Last week it was revealed the sect hired private investigators to dig dirt on senior Labour figures.

New Zealand First deputy leader Peter Brown says while he was aware the Exclusive Brethren made some phone calls to various people in his party, he did not know the group was encouraging defections.

A spokesman for Dr Brash today said the Exclusive Brethren members were not acting under authority from the National Party.

He also disputed Mr Mark's claim that the Brethren had inside information on coalition negotiations.

He said it was widely known at the time that the numbers were finely poised.

- NEWSTALK ZB, NZPA