Hide isn't a worthy leader - plotter

Before the split - Act leader Rodney Hide and his former deputy Heather Roy. Photo / Supplied

Former Act board member Peter Tashkoff has outed himself as orchestrating last year's attempt to roll Rodney Hide as leader - and says he would do it again.

Mr Tashkoff is number seven on the party list, despite resigning from the board in January in protest at the "gutless board" and Mr Hide's behaviour.

"In the event that two MPs would leave, I would be in Parliament and the very first thing I would do [is] move to have Rodney Hide removed as leader."

He said he could not stay silent on this week's events, in which Heather Roy was ousted as deputy leader and lost her ministerial portfolios.

"I'm not saying that Heather is Mother Theresa or Margaret Thatcher, but she is a good, hard-working, genuine person and these guys are being abusive.

"In her absence she now has Rodney Hide putting words in her mouth trying to paint her as a fragile and vulnerable person, which is absolute nonsense. It's such a misrepresentation and it makes me angry."

Mr Tashkoff said he resigned because Mr Hide had misled the board when he claimed that his taxpayer-funded travel was only one trip worth $5000. Mr Hide eventually repaid $21,952 for expenses for two trips.

"I wanted Rodney Hide removed a year ago from the leadership, and it wasn't simply because he ... decided that he was not to be held accountable by the board. I do not think that he is a worthy leader and he cannot grow the party."

A spokesman for Mr Hide responded: "The caucus and the board evaluated the issues at the time and made their judgment."

Mr Tashkoff said some board members believe they owe Mr Hide for Act's presence in Parliament.

"The only reason that Act is in Parliament is because of the Epsom electorate. Rodney Hide did not win that electorate for Act. Act won it for Rodney Hide. Two hundred Act members on the ground went into that electorate and won it. Rodney Hide owes the Act Party."

Last November, Mr Tashkoff emailed a document to the board outlining the party position in the wake of Mr Hide's expenses scandal. One of the options was to replace Mr Hide as leader. He discussed it with Act MPs but it was eventually thought that Mr Hide was the best option.

"I was going around last year trying to get rid of Rodney Hide ... The board didn't even discuss it. They put their heads in the sand."

Former Act members John Ansell, Lindsay Mitchell and Deborah Coddington have all said they do not consider Mr Hide a bully, but Mr Tashkoff disagreed.

"I am loyal to the party and to the principles that Act was founded on. But I'm not loyal to that man."

THE COUP
Document sent by Peter Tashkoff to Act MPs and the party board last November.

The bad
* The party is divided.
* Epsom is under threat: Hide's lack of attention, damage from his comments that John Key "doesn't do anything".
* Hide's credibility has suffered with the public and in the party.

The good
* John Key seems to want to throw Act a lifeline.

The solution
* A replacement for Hide as leader, or sticking with him but taking action on party division, Epsom and his credibility.