National delegates backpedal on SFO

By HELEN TUNNAH

The National Party emerged from its weekend conference in Auckland publicly backing president Michelle Boag while trying to relegate a Serious Fraud Office inquiry to the electoral background.

Ms Boag wiped tears from her eyes as delegates gave her a standing ovation after a week the party would rather forget.

The SFO inquiry, into a 1996 donation from merchant bank Fay Richwhite believed to be $250,000, was never far from the surface during the northern regional conference in Mt Wellington.

But in a departure from their angry outbursts last week, National MPs adopted a conciliatory tone on the inquiry.

Leader Bill English said he wanted the investigation over quickly. He was sure it would be thorough and professional.

That was a far cry from remarks by MPs Roger Sowry and Wayne Mapp, who last week had questioned the political objectivity of SFO head David Bradshaw and called for his resignation.

Delegates publicly backed the party hierarchy, but privately there was concern that Ms Boag and some MPs had handled the matter badly.

Ms Boag had promised to drum out of the party anyone who might have laid a complaint with the SFO about the donation, and chose to confront former president John Slater, who had raised concerns about the donation while in office.

A smiling Mr Slater, who lost the presidency to Ms Boag a year ago, attended the conference confident that his membership was not under threat, and graciously suggested that Ms Boag's threat to try to expel him had been made "in the heat" of the moment.

But he could not resist an oblique criticism, saying such controversies were better handled in a "quiet, judicious and polite" manner.

Ms Boag said the inquiry would not cause National any lasting damage.

She laughed off suggestions she should have backed off on her expulsion threats, and said that as far as she was concerned the inquiry was "yesterday's news".

Ms Boag used her conference speech to defend her presidency and the changes she wanted to make to the party, including promoting the replacement of some older MPs with recruits.

Two Auckland MPs have lost nominations for seats this election. Waitakere MP Brian Neeson was not at the conference, and Hunua MP Warren Kyd attended yesterday only to hear a speech from Mr English.

Mr Kyd heard Mr English extol the virtues of a strong electorate presence in campaigning, and it would not have been lost on many that Mr Kyd was ousted although he has one of the party's highest majorities.

Ms Boag's speech was greeted with a rousing ovation almost before she had finished.

She said there were a few in the party who did not agree with her, but she had a mandate for change.

National would not waver from its aim of winning the election, and would not be thrown off its stride by the SFO inquiry.