Sulking Williamson savaged in email blast from Boag

By JOHN ARMSTRONG political editor

National Party president Michelle Boag yesterday labelled outspoken MP Maurice Williamson "self-serving and arrogant" and accused him of systematically undermining the party.

Her comments, in a private email supplied to the Herald, come as the damaging rift between party leader Bill English and Mr Williamson widens, with the angry Pakuranga MP failing to turn up to a long-scheduled meeting of the caucus.

Mr Williamson said he was "too busy" to fly to Wellington, even though the all-day meeting was to discuss strategy for the resumption of Parliament the week after next.

He is smarting after Mr English demoted him to bottom place in the caucus in Thursday's reshuffle and stripped him of the shadow tertiary education portfolio as punishment for his criticism of Ms Boag.

In her email - a reply to a member of the public disgruntled about Mr Williamson's treatment - Ms Boag said the MP was not a contributing member of the National team.

"He failed to write policy when asked. He is not respected by his colleagues. He is self-serving and arrogant and never listens. If you knew him really well you would know that."

Last night she confirmed that she sent the email. "Yes, it's exactly the way I feel about him, and that's tough. I am sick and tired of being politically correct around Maurice.

"I thought when I sent it, knowing Maurice and his tactics, they would release it."

His humiliating ranking has angered the MP, who has refused to accept the communications, information technology and statistics spokesmanships allotted by his leader in the post-election reshuffle.

Mr Williamson said it was unbelievable that new MPs would be ranked above sitting MPs and those with ministerial experience.

He said he had stayed in Auckland yesterday to deal with "some spin" being put around his electorate that he planned to resign from National and force a byelection.

Saying he had received hundreds of messages of support, he stressed that he would remain subject to the National whip and would continue to attend caucus meetings. Mr Williamson denied working against the party's interests. He said Ms Boag should stump up with evidence or desist from making the accusation.

He said he had never spoken out about Ms Boag in the buildup to the election, but had been caught out once by an unexpected question.

He described his demotion by Mr English as a "deliberate insult".

After caucus, a terse Mr English was reluctant to comment on Mr Williamson's absence. He said he did not make his travel arrangements.

He would be talking to the MP as soon as possible about finding a use for his talents, but gave no indication when that would be.