New move to expel Hide critic from Act

Rodney Hide. Photo / Mark Mitchell

Further ructions have hit Act with a move to expel party member Peter Tashkoff, who is next in line to enter Parliament and has been highly critical of leader Rodney Hide.

The party board will hold a meeting at the end of next month to decide whether to expel Mr Tashkoff, who yesterday released a letter from current president Chris Simmons advising him that a motion to expel him had been tabled.

The letter to Mr Tashkoff was sent on the same day the Herald wrote about the resignation of president Michael Crozier and earlier attempts to expel Mr Tashkoff.

He said he was surprised because, following a previous attempt to expel him, he had undertaken not to further publicly criticise Mr Hide or the party's policies in an agreement with a board delegation of the then president, Michael Crozier and MP Sir Roger Douglas.

"On the face of it, and given that I had provided an undertaking to the board not to speak out, the motive for them continuing to press so tenaciously for my removal from the party is difficult to understand."

Mr Tashkoff is a critic of Mr Hide and has admitted instigating an apparent coup attempt against him last year. He also holds a critical place: he is next in line to enter Parliament from the Act Party list if an MP resigns.

The move against Mr Tashkoff follows the recent resignation of Dr Crozier amid rumours he was pushed by Mr Hide for refusing to expel Mr Tashkoff.

Mr Hide has denied that, saying Dr Crozier left of his own accord and always intended to do so before election year.