National won't support 'flying squad'

The Greens found an ally in National this morning as they continued an attack on New Zealand First's immigration policies.

National leader Don Brash said if his party were voted into power it would not support New Zealand First's idea of a "flying squad" which would search for potentially risky immigrants who might be in New Zealand.

"We would not adopt the flying squad policy that to my mind does indeed smack of some of the most unpleasant features of the 21st century, not things we would want to do at all," Dr Brash told National Radio.

Dr Brash said he would not compromise on race issues in order to form a government with New Zealand First.

"If you want to avoid National having to be in a coalition with New Zealand First the best way to cast your vote is to vote for the National Party."

National did not want a racially divided society, he said.

"I'm not anti-Asian, I'm not anti-any particular racial group. I want New Zealand to be a country where all people of any race are treated equally."

Dr Brash's comments follow strong talk from the Greens at their conference in Christchurch over the weekend during which co-leader Rod Donald was scathing of New Zealand First leader Winston Peters.

"Peters is the ugly face of New Zealand politics -- the more so because he is smart enough to know that his proposed flying squad searching the homes of undesirables echoes Hitler's Germany," Mr Donald said at the conference.

"It's no coincidence that the leader of the National Front has quit politics -- NZ First has stolen their policies.

He continued his attack today and admitted he had take a stronger position at the weekend than planned after a poll showed a surge in New Zealand First support.

Mr Donald said any coalition with Mr Peters' party would be bad for New Zealand.

"I think it would be at the very least a very backward step for New Zealand if Winston Peters ever got into government," Mr Donald said.

"I'm saying what decent New Zealanders are thinking. They are upset, outraged, disturbed that Winston Peters is trying to use politics to divide our society, cast Asian and Pacific Island people as unwanted and they should be sent home.

"I am almost speechless really because he is peddling snake oil, he is trying to present somehow kicking these people out of New Zealand as a miracle cure for our social ills, whereas in fact it would actually make our society quite sick."

Mr Peters yesterday described Mr Donald as "a man who's obsessed with being in Cabinet and will sell any principle down the drain".

"They (the Greens) are going off to political oblivion. They don't actually stand for anything and won't stand up for anything," he said.

Today, he said Green Party members had rung his office apologising for Mr Donald's attacks on him.

"They think it's a disgrace, they believe that they've forgotten their great, serious environmental cause which I think is important in this country," he said.

Mr Peters' poll ratings and those of New Zealand First have increased in the past few months, partly after a series of revelations made under parliamentary privilege about former Iraqis in New Zealand who were allegedly linked to Saddam Hussein's regime.

Mr Peters said the proposed "flying squads" would be made up of New Zealanders from all ethnic backgrounds.

"After all, my informants on many of these issues come from these backgrounds," he said.

Mr Donald denied getting into personal politicking.

"We haven't entered into any debate about what Winston Peters does in his evenings -- we're focusing on the policies and politics of the situation and we're just pointing out a few home truths to the people of New Zealand."

The Greens would not be part of a government that involved any of Mr Peter's immigration plans but would work with him on other issues.

Mr Donald was also critical of National saying it had few women and would be a social disaster if elected.

Dr Brash hit back saying the Greens didn't like roads, electricity generation, and had a separatist Maori agenda.

The Greens have ruled out being in a coalition with National and Dr Brash felt the same.

"I think their policies are so different... that I find it impossible to believe that we could find a policy platform that both parties could agree to."

- NZPA