Security complaint triggered sacking

Newly promoted Act deputy leader and minister John Boscawen (L) is introduced by Rodney Hide at Parliament. Photo / Mark Mitchell

Relations between former Act deputy Heather Roy and leader Rodney Hide had become so bad that she complained to Ministerial Services that he breached security when he took a piece of paper relating to her defence portfolio from her office.

Mr Hide repeatedly refused yesterday to reveal details about why the caucus voted her out of the job.

But the Herald understands the complaint was a recent occurrence and not only reflected the bad relationship between the two but precipitated her removal yesterday by the caucus.

It was the final straw after a failed coup last year and a speech to the party conference this year that questioned the party's reliance on Mr Hide.

Her replacement, first-term list MP John Boscawen, told reporters he had put in his nomination to challenge her on August 5.

An inquiry into the supposed security breach did not occur.

Mrs Roy was forced to resign all her portfolios after the vote to oust her as deputy.

Mr Boscawen picks up her Consumer Affairs portfolio and Mr Hide's Associate Commerce portfolio. Mr Hide takes her Associate Education portfolio, and her Associate Defence portfolio disappears.

Defence was a special interest of Mrs Roy's because she is a Territorial.

Mr Hide said Act relinquished Associate Defence to concentrate on core Act issues, notably education.

Mr Hide, Mr Boscawen and David Garrett voted Mrs Roy out - a move resisted by her and party founder and MP Sir Roger Douglas.

Former Act MP Stephen Franks, now a National Party member, was at the meeting as her support person and lawyer.

Party president Michael Crozier was also present, and after the MPs' vote held a telephone conference with the Act board to approve the move.

The ousting highlights the two distinct factions in Act - the minority purists led by Sir Roger and the pragmatists led by Mr Hide - and the potential of more warring to come.

Mrs Roy would not comment yesterday. She is on two weeks' leave and no one in her caucus knows what she will do.

Resignation from Parliament is an option. If that were to happen, the next person on the list is Hilary Calvert.

Mrs Roy could resign from the caucus but remain a list MP until the next election.

Mr Garrett, the Act whip, confirmed last night that he was exercising her proxy as an Act MP.

Act supports National on confidence and supply votes.

Even if Mrs Roy stayed but refused to vote with the party, National and four Act MPs would have 62 votes, a majority in the 122-seat Parliament.

Prime Minister John Key said there was an "implied concept" that the ministerial warrants for Act belonged to the leader and deputy leader, and it had therefore been appropriate to offer Mr Boscawen a place in the ministry.

But that did not apply across the board. He would still not have Sir Roger Douglas as a minister.

Mr Key said the Associate Defence responsibility was not continued because Mrs Roy's major workload had concerned the "value for money exercise in Defence and that has fundamentally been completed now".

The Prime Minister said he would be calling Mrs Roy to thank her for her service and that she had acted "professionally as a minister". He said he had no idea why she was voted out.