Winston Peters yesterday claimed the National Party had effectively bought Mr Hide's silence after his resignation as Act's leader by offering him a plum job at taxpayers' expense.
"Who, by the way, was promised a top post at the expense of taxpayers after the election if he would just go quietly?
"You know. Day one not going. Day two going and happy," Mr Peters told the 300-plus delegates at New Zealand First's annual convention in reference to Mr Hide's protracted decision about whether to resign after Dr Brash mounted his challenge.
Mr Peters later refused to say what the job offer might have been. Rumours of such an offer have been circulating at Parliament in recent weeks. But Mr Hide said last night they were simply not true. He in turn accused the New Zealand First leader of being delusional.
Mr Peters told the convention that National's efforts to seek electoral accommodations in Epsom and in Peter Dunne's Ohariu seat showed that party "knows the opinion polls are not worth the paper they are printed on".
New Zealand First is polling around 2 per cent of the party vote - well short of the 5 per cent threshold needed to be entitled to seats in Parliament.
Mr Peters' speech contained a new policy initiative which would see welfare benefits slashed for those who refused to co-operate with police inquiries into child abuse.
He also promised to repeal the anti-smacking law and halt the sale to foreigners of the Crafar farms, which he predicted would go into overseas hands immediately after November's election.
