Nats allay Act's fears on Franks

By RUTH BERRY

Act leader Rodney Hide has gone to Don Brash for an assurance National is not going to pinch Stephen Franks, after the MP refused to promise his party he would not waka-jump.

Embarrassingly for Mr Franks, Mr Hide says the National leader has promised he is not interested in poaching the MP.

Compounding the awkwardness for Mr Franks is National deputy leader Gerry Brownlee's use of his blunder to attack what he says is the fall-out from Act's "disastrous" leadership change.

Mr Franks upset his fellow MPs on Friday by refusing to rule out deserting Act for National next year if it became clear Act would not survive the election.

He issued a statement later that day saying he was "100 per cent committed" to Act's principles, but still refused to commit to staying with Act until the next election.

Act MPs initially tried to paint a positive spin on Mr Franks' admission that Act's days may be numbered by claiming the affair highlighted their calibre was such that National was trying to recruit them.

But National insiders have rejected those claims. Mr Brownlee told the Herald that while candidate decisions fell into President Judy Kirk's court, he believed it was "very unlikely" the party would want Mr Franks to stand as an MP at the next election.

"We have got a lot of very good people putting their hand up wanting to stand for us so I can't see why we would go and pick up MPs from a party which has been in the last 18 months spectacularly unsuccessful."

Mr Hide said yesterday he had been assured by Dr Brash that he wasn't interested in poaching Act MPs.

He said Dr Brash had told him: "We think your MPs are good but the National Party is not particularly interested in waka-jumpers."

Mr Hide denied being unhappy with Mr Franks' refusal to commit to remaining with the party, saying the MP was just talking hypothetically.

But his revelation of his phone call to Dr Brash and what was said clearly suggests he has been angered by the inflammatory comments of Mr Franks, who competed with Mr Hide for the leadership several months ago.

Mr Brownlee said Mr Franks' comments revealed the dire straits his party was in.

"What we are seeing here is Stephen Franks mulling about his misfortunes and the miserable situation that Act finds itself in.

"Their leadership change has been a disaster and if they haven't worked out by now that voters have rejected their policy positions then I guess it will be a long time before they ever do."

As Mr Brownlee attempted to drive the wedge between Act MPs, New Zealand First leader Winston Peters was in Gore on Friday attempting to do the same to National.

In a speech critical of Dr Brash's "scorched earth" policies, he said deposed former leader "Bill English on his worst day is a far better political fighter than Hurricane Brash and it would not be a surprise to hear knives being sharpened in the National Party caucus once again.

"It's one thing to read a speech about Maoris at Orewa, but it's entirely different to have to do the hard yards day after day, week after week, in the maelstrom of politics.

"Don Brash simply cannot hack it."