Inside view of Act Party not a pretty sight

Newly promoted Act deputy leader and minister John Boscawen (L) is introduced by Rodney Hide at Parliament. Photo / Mark Mitchell

Rodney Hide was an abusive, intimidating bully who tried for months to discredit Heather Roy into quitting as deputy leader, according to statements Mrs Roy made in a confidential document.

The 82 pages of supporting material - obtained by the Herald - outline her defence, given in a statement to the Act caucus, against concerns about her behaviour and are an attack on Mr Hide's leadership.

They paint a picture of a fractured party that has been infighting while pretending to be unified, and of an insecure leader who moved to demote Mrs Roy without just cause.

Yesterday, Mrs Roy released a statement saying she only referred to some of the material at the meeting, and it was not distributed to Act MPs.

Last night, Mr Hide said he had not read the material.

In her notes, Mrs Roy pleaded with her colleagues to keep the status quo and seek help to regain a team spirit, saying that she had the "guts to do what's right" and challenged her colleagues to do the same.

"I am a competent minister. I have not embarrassed Act."

But on Tuesday, she was displaced as deputy leader by John Boscawen and stripped of her ministerial portfolios of consumer affairs, associate defence and associate education.

On August 3 in caucus, Mr Hide accused Mrs Roy of being a poor performer as a minister and the party's deputy leader; she was not present.

At an emergency meeting two days later, when Mr Boscawen officially gave notice of his challenge, Mr Hide outlined six specific and four broad allegations against Mrs Roy, including:

"Grave concerns" about her behaviour.

Act positions were stated without consultation with the leader, caucus or party board.

Mrs Roy had made a complaint about not wanting to meet Mr Hide.

Mrs Roy had laid a formal complaint against Mr Hide about a breach of security.

Based on these, Mrs Roy was expected to face a censure motion at this week's caucus meeting, but this was dropped because it was considered that a challenge to the deputy leadership was sufficient.

But Mrs Roy decided to formally rebut the concerns at Tuesday's meeting. She had been declined a written form of the concerns, so she drew up her own from her notes.

Her notes say she had been the victim of "Rodney's vendetta" and that, since last November, Mr Hide "has been determined to discredit me, irrespective of the effect on the party and our contribution to government".

"I have received many reports of his agenda being to humiliate and discredit me so as to have grounds to place me well down the party list at the next list selection meeting."

Mrs Roy said Mr Hide had spoken to Defence Minister Wayne Mapp and tried to have her removed as Associate Defence Minister, to which Dr Mapp had "protested vigorously".

She wrote in her notes: "It is very difficult for me to work when my own leader is determined to undermine me. It is very clear that he has used others to further this agenda."

Mr Hide denies he has ever raised concerns over Mrs Roy's associate defence portfolio with Dr Mapp.

Mrs Roy's notes said she was scared of meeting Mr Hide alone, and wanted to bring another person with her.

"He routinely tries to bully and intimidate me and this is not conducive to a good working relationship.

"There was an instance recently where he was extremely angry at my staff, characterised by shouting abuse in offices and also as he stormed up and down the corridor.

"Since the November publicity over his taxpayer-funded travel, he has barely spoken to me and at many of the meetings we have had, he has indicated that I am not performing to the level he would expect, his tone during these discussions is menacing."

Last night, Mr Hide said he did not share that impression of their meetings.

Mrs Roy said she did not make a formal complaint about Mr Hide taking a Defence Force document from her ministerial office, but she made an inquiry as to how she should have handled the matter.

"I was concerned he would take the paper away and copy it, which is why I said he could read it in my office, but not take it away. His purpose for wanting the document was to use it in a witch hunt against me."

The Departmental Security Officer later wrote to her to say that there had been no security breach, but "a fundamental assumption of trust and confidentiality between ministers".

Mrs Roy also raised concerns that a Defence Force document had been allegedly passed to Act board member Nick Kearney, who said last night that he had never had in his possession or known of any Defence papers, nor had he passed any on.

Mrs Roy implored her caucus colleagues to maintain the status quo.

"Act sees team leadership as primitive combat, with a need to destroy a colleague's reputation to justify an otherwise inexplicable decision."

If ousted, the public would confirm "prejudices about the nasty party, comprised of bullies".

"The right thing to do is to maintain the status quo," she said.

"This should be followed by a constructive, well-managed process of continuous improvement, facilitated by experts as necessary, so that we can all rediscover our collegial spirit and improve individually as a team."

Last week in a letter to caucus chairman David Garrett and Act president Michael Crozier, Mrs Roy said the relationship between her and the leader was tense. "It has become obvious by his actions that he has set upon a path to establish a foundation for humiliating me."

ORDER OF BATTLE

How hostilities broke:

July 21: Roy emails Hide and says she doesn't want to meet him unless she can bring someone else because she doesn't feel safe. She calls him "confrontational and aggressive". Hide replies, "I'm sorry you feel the way you do", and says they won't meet except in caucus.

July 27: At the end of a caucus meeting, Hide raises the issue of a Defence paper he wanted to see, but Roy had refused to give him. He says he is entitled to see it as leader of Act. Later, Hide takes it from Roy's office and returns it two hours later.

July 29: After Roy makes inquiries, the Departmental Security Officer says there was no breach of security.

August 3: Caucus meeting where concerns against Roy are raised. Roy is absent, but Sir Roger Douglas informs her that evening of what happened at the meeting.

August 5: Emergency caucus meeting, with Roy present, where Hide outlines "grave concerns" about her behaviour. John Boscawen says there is a "serious breakdown" in the relationship between Hide and Roy and he has "no option" but to challenge for the deputy leadership.

August 11: Having asked for the allegations in writing, Roy is informed by caucus chairman David Garrett that the motion of censure based on the concerns will not take place. She is invited to still address the concerns at the next caucus meeting.

August 15: Party president Michael Crozier calls emergency board meeting for immediately after caucus two days later.

August 17: Caucus meeting. Roy defends claims against her. John Boscawen is voted in as deputy leader. Board validates this by teleconference.

August 18: Roy commits to staying in caucus.

HE SAID, SHE SAID ... THE ACT PARTY HIGHLIGHTS

Concern: Issues put forward from an Act Party perspective had not come to the leader, caucus or the board.

Rebuttal: Roy believed it related to an incomplete draft paper prepared by her at the Defence Minister's request. Its contents are "entirely consistent with the Act national security policy from the 2008 election which had sign-off from the policy committee".

Concern: Hide had asked Roy for a copy of a Defence Force report and was refused. Roy had said the decision was hers after a talk with Wayne Mapp.

Rebuttal: Roy: "I contacted Wayne Mapp to discuss this with him. I explained that the document was wanted because Rodney wanted to use it against me and that the 'need to know' provision in the security manual did not apply to him ... He said it was my document and it was up to me. I said I was not going to give Rodney a copy and he [Mapp] said he understood and that was fine by him."

Concern: Roy did not want to meet Hide alone because she didn't feel safe.

Rebuttal: Roy wanted someone else at the meetings. "He routinely tries to bully and intimidate me and this is not conducive to a good working relationship. There was an instance recently where he was extremely angry at my staff, characterised by shouting abuse in offices and also as he stormed up and down the corridor.

"Since the November publicity over his taxpayer-funded travel, he has barely spoken to me and at many of the meetings we have had, he has indicated that I am not performing to the level he would expect ... his tone during these discussions is menacing."

Concern: Hide says he was entitled to see a Defence Force document because he is the leader, but Roy refused to hand it over. He found it offensive that Roy insisted he read it in her office. He eventually took it and returned it later.

Rebuttal: "Rodney took the document from my hands ... his purpose for wanting the document was to use it in a witch hunt against me. The document was returned to me two hours later. I have no idea of knowing if he took a copy of it or not."