Finance role key to National re-election strategy

By VERNON SMALL

Bill English has taken hold of the reins of the National Party but may keep his job as finance spokesman for the time being.

He is expected to announce a revamp of the Opposition line-up on Friday but is struggling to find an adequate successor in the crucial finance portfolio.

Sir Robert Muldoon was the last party leader to hold the dual role, between 1975 and 1984.

After a 45-minute meeting of the caucus, Mr English emerged to confirm he had been chosen unopposed to replace Jenny Shipley, who stepped aside on Monday.

His friend and key lieutenant, Roger Sowry, was elected deputy after beating off a challenge from chief whip John Carter.

Mr English underscored the importance of the economic post, saying it was time to move on from the past 15 years and the debate between Muldoonist intervention and free-market Rogernomics and focus on the next 10 years.

The finance post is seen as pivotal to repositioning the party towards the vote-rich centre ground.

But National Party sources said he faced a difficult choice balancing the need for gravity and experience with the wish to present a new, more centrist face on economic policy.

The two with the strongest claims were former trade minister Lockwood Smith and former justice minister Tony Ryall.

But Dr Smith might be seen as too ideological and closely identified with the economic right of the party suggesting Mr Ryall, who has an accounting background, would be frontrunner if a change were made.



Other changes could lead to the relegation of frontbenchers Max Bradford and Bob Simcock, who backed Mrs Shipley.

But sources said Mr English would aim to unify the party rather than be seen to play favourites.

Defending his decision to take the leadership from Mrs Shipley, Mr English said that as deputy for the past nine months he had been happy to support her.

But during the weekend backbench MPs Lindsay Tisch and Wayne Mapp had called to say a majority of the caucus wanted the leadership issue dealt with.

He had decided to run with the will of the caucus.

Mr English said that while National would be the underdog at next year's election, Labour had started to run into trouble in the past few months. He believed National had the team to give the Government a tough contest.

There might be some change in policy direction, but that was "hypothetical" because the party "had not done a lot of policy-making".

Mrs Shipley has yet to decide if she will stay in Parliament.

Mr English denied party president Michelle Boag was behind the leadership change, although he had taken a family holiday at her Waiheke Island house last week.