National MPs want McCully dumped

Murray McCully (left) has been Don Brash's parliamentary assistant since 2003. File picture / Greg Bowker

Some National Party MPs are asking leader Don Brash to dump Murray McCully as one of his key advisers.

It is understood Dr Brash seeks Mr McCully's advice on issues on an almost daily basis and party sources today said several MPs were unhappy with the level of influence wielded by him.

One source said Mr McCully, who is MP for East Coast Bays, had been part of several strategy teams that had presided over election losses. His abilities were overrated and had at times played a role in poor decisions, the source claimed.

"Plenty of us are unhappy with his influence," the source said. "He has a huge influence over Brash and we still can't understand why. If Brash doesn't start to listen to the broader caucus then he won't survive."

It is understood Rakaia MP Brian Connell is one of those to have made his views clear to Dr Brash. Rodney MP Lockwood Smith was also understood to be unhappy with Mr McCully's role.

Both refused to comment on the issue.

Another National Party source said dumping him from that role would not lessen his influence.

"Don talks to him every day of the week, including weekends, and there is no way that changing his job in Parliament will diminish his role at all.

"Murray is his No 1 adviser, other than that he probably takes advice from (families spokeswoman) Judith Collins and (finance spokesman) John Key."

They said that after an election loss -- even a close one -- MPs' dissatisfaction needed to find a resting place.

"After you lose people gun for somebody, and they are clearly gunning for him," the second source said.

Mr McCully was appointed parliamentary assistant to the leader of the Opposition by Dr Brash in November 2003 and it is not the first time his influence has come under scrutiny.

Some MPs were upset with what they saw as Mr McCully's role in the demotion of list MP Katherine Rich from the welfare portfolio after she refused to back aspects of a speech by Dr Brash.

Some National MPs today backed Mr McCully saying he had played a key role in an election campaign, which had seen them almost double their party vote.

Mr McCully could not be immediately reached this morning.

Dr Brash said through a spokesman that Mr McCully had his total confidence and National's election result would not have been as good without his efforts.

Dr Brash said he was not formalising his shadow cabinet line-up until Labour leader Helen Clark had announced her ministers, but Mr McCully would continue to play an important role.

- NZPA