Roy faces axe after new Act revolt

Heather Roy. Photo / Bay of Plenty Times

Act minister Heather Roy is facing the axe from John Key's Administration today, after she is dumped by her parliamentary colleagues as deputy leader of Act.

First-term Act MP John Boscawen is expected to take her jobs as deputy leader and a minister.

Mrs Roy is said to again have been trying to rally party opinion against Rodney Hide.

At the end of the last year, the Herald revealed that Mrs Roy and party founder and MP Sir Roger Douglas had led an unsuccessful move to oust Mr Hide as party leader.

A special caucus meeting was held, but no vote was put.

Today's caucus meeting is expected to be a fiery one. Mrs Roy is not expected to go without a fight, and she is likely to have Sir Roger on her side.

Mr Hide is almost certain to have briefed Mr Key on the latest internal turmoil, as he did last year before the leadership meeting.

Neither Mrs Roy nor Mr Hide would speak to the Herald last night.

Act has only five MPs - Mr Hide, Mrs Roy, Sir Roger, Mr Boscawen and David Garrett.

Mr Key has said he would not have Sir Roger as a minister in his Government inside or outside the Cabinet.

That leaves only Mr Boscawen or Mr Garrett to fill the second post, which is guaranteed as part of the confidence and supply agreement with National.

A vote against Mrs Roy by her party colleagues would be effectively a vote of no-confidence in her, and Mr Key would be obliged to sack her from the Administration.

He is said to have concerns about her performance as Associate Minister of Defence.

She is also Minister of Consumer Affairs, and Associate Education Minister with responsibility for special education.

Mr Boscawen could expect to pick up the Consumer Affairs portfolio, but any associate roles could be left for negotiation.

Mrs Roy used her speech to the Act conference in February to express concerns about the party's dependence on Mr Hide and the Epsom electorate.

She and the other Act list MPs are in Parliament only because Mr Hide won the Epsom electorate. Act's 3.65 per cent party vote did not reach the 5 per cent threshold for all-list representation under MMP.

Mrs Roy entered Parliament as a list MP in 2002.

Originally from Palmerston in the South Island, the former physiotherapist worked in both the public and private health sectors in New Zealand and Britain.

She has also worked as the manager of a private kindergarten and a publicity officer for the New Zealand Portrait Gallery.

In 2006, she joined the Territorial Force of the New Zealand Army as a field engineer.

She has since transferred to the non-active reserve of the Army to avoid any conflicts of interest.

She is married to Dr Duncan Roy and has five children.

- additional reporting: Derek Cheng