By AUDREY YOUNG
National Party leader Bill English launched his first attack on United Future in Parliament yesterday.
But it was quickly blunted by a counter-attack on him and his finance spokesman, Don Brash, by Finance Minister Michael Cullen.
Mr English said United Future had voted "to make it easier for solo parents to stay on welfare", a reference to the party's support of legislation abolishing work testing for domestic purposes beneficiaries.
"They voted the opposite way they had voted before the election, they voted against their principles and they voted against the wishes of their supporters."
Now the party had "panicked" and decided to oppose one of the "centre-pieces" of Labour's growth strategy, the Tertiary Education Reform Bill.
Dr Cullen said Mr English was sensitive about United Future.
"If you're not united and you don't have a future, you're going to be really sensitive about United Future, and the Leader of the Opposition is certainly that.
"This was the once-great party of Holyoake, Marshall and Sid Holland - sober, sensible, grey-haired men instead of whingeing, puling boys. Once the natural party of Government, it's not even the natural party of Opposition any longer.
"No wonder at the caucus yesterday he put his resignation on the table to his colleagues and said, 'If any of you want the job, stand up and take it', and nobody stood up."
Dr Cullen's claim was vigorously denied as "lies" by National MPs. They said it did not happen.
In his speech, Dr Cullen continued to ridicule members of National's front bench.
"Simon Power is still trying to buy a second pair of long trousers before he can be Leader of the Opposition.
"Mr Gerry Brownlee, a sort of political dirigible trying to find somewhere to land."
And then there was Dr Brash, who had had the most meteoric rise and back to the depths in a short political career.
"He must be wondering why he took an 80 per cent pay cut to join a losing team. It's like being the centre forward for Manchester United and going on a free transfer to Gillingham."
Dr Cullen condemned Dr Brash for not having raised in Parliament on Tuesday changes to the policy targets agreement between the Finance Minister and Reserve Bank Governor, Dr Brash's old job.
National did not ask questions or seek a snap debate.
"What had happened to Dr Brash, the old Lochinvar who came riding in on his horse and fell off it before he even got up to ask a question on his supposed area of expertise."
(Lochinvar is a heroic knight in a Sir Walter Scott poem.)
ACC Minister Ruth Dyson said Dr Brash's role was being reconsidered, another claim angrily described as "lies" by Mr English last night.
He was in Auckland to support Dr Brash's induction into the National Business Review's business hall of fame.
One MP said Dr Brash was still grieving over the death of his father, the Rev Dr Alan Brash, just over three weeks ago.
A spokeswoman for Mr English said National's procedures committee had decided on Tuesday not to raise the policy targets agreement because it would simply have given Dr Cullen a platform.
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