Franks confirms Roy complained over Hide

Heather Roy. Photo / Brett Phibbs

Dumped Act deputy leader Heather Roy's adviser has confirmed there was a bust-up over leader Rodney Hide taking a defence document from her office.

Mrs Roy complained to Ministerial Services that Mr Hide had breached security when he took the piece of paper.

Mr Hide repeatedly refused yesterday to reveal details about why the caucus voted her out of the job.

But the Herald understands the complaint was a recent occurrence and not only reflected the bad relationship between the two but precipitated her removal yesterday by the caucus.

Stephen Franks, a former Act MP who stood for National at the last election, today confirmed Mrs Roy had gone to Ministerial Services over Mr Hide taking a document from her office.

"It was a defence paper that was a draft part of a process, it was marked restricted or something like that. There had been a dispute about whether Rodney should have access to it," Mr Franks said.

There were about seven different categories of restriction and Mrs Roy was unsure whether Mr Hide should have access or not.

"She went to ask what the rules were because... MPs and ministers aren't classified they don't have a security rating. It's assumed they are all Her Majesty's loyal servants and therefore they can see anything. In practice of course there's a whole lot of stuff that's on a need to know basis."

Mr Franks said Mrs Roy was concerned about her accountability once the document was taken out of her room.

An inquiry into the supposed security breach did not occur.

A spokesman for Prime Minister John Key said he was made aware of the complaint.

"He was made aware of the fact a complaint was made to Ministerial Services and it was found there was no substance to it and we don't hold any concerns about this."

Mrs Roy's ministerial complaint was the final straw after a failed coup last year and a speech to the party conference this year that questioned the party's reliance on Mr Hide.

Her replacement, first-term list MP John Boscawen, told reporters he had put in his nomination to challenge her on August 5.

Mrs Roy was forced to resign all her portfolios after the vote to oust her as deputy.

Mr Boscawen picks up her Consumer Affairs portfolio and Mr Hide's Associate Commerce portfolio. Mr Hide takes her Associate Education portfolio, and her Associate Defence portfolio disappears.

Defence was a special interest of Mrs Roy's because she is a Territorial.

Mr Hide said Act relinquished Associate Defence to concentrate on core Act issues, notably education.

Mr Hide, Mr Boscawen and David Garrett voted Mrs Roy out - a move resisted by her and party founder and MP Sir Roger Douglas.

Mr Franks was at the meeting as her support person and lawyer.

Party president Michael Crozier was also present, and after the MPs' vote held a telephone conference with the Act board to approve the move.

The ousting highlights the two distinct factions in Act - the minority purists led by Sir Roger and the pragmatists led by Mr Hide - and the potential of more warring to come.

Mrs Roy would not comment yesterday. She is on two weeks' leave and no one in her caucus knows what she will do.

Resignation from Parliament is an option. If that were to happen, the next person on the list is Hilary Calvert.

Mrs Roy could resign from the caucus but remain a list MP until the next election.

Mr Garrett, the Act whip, confirmed last night that he was exercising her proxy as an Act MP.

Act supports National on confidence and supply votes.

Even if Mrs Roy stayed but refused to vote with the party, National and four Act MPs would have 62 votes, a majority in the 122-seat Parliament.

Mr Key said there was an "implied concept" that the ministerial warrants for Act belonged to the leader and deputy leader, and it had therefore been appropriate to offer Mr Boscawen a place in the ministry.

But that did not apply across the board. He would still not have Sir Roger Douglas as a minister.

Mr Key said the Associate Defence responsibility was not continued because Mrs Roy's major workload had concerned the "value for money exercise in Defence and that has fundamentally been completed now".

The Prime Minister said he would be calling Mrs Roy to thank her for her service and that she had acted "professionally as a minister". He said he had no idea why she was voted out.

- With NZPA