Te Heuheu will stick to her guns

By RUTH BERRY, political reporter

Defiant National MP Georgina te Heuheu will today have to front up to colleagues and outline her concerns about the party's race relations stance.

The decision on whether she keeps the Maori Affairs shadow portfolio will be made by tomorrow at the latest.

While Mrs te Heuheu is seemingly on a collision course with leader Don Brash, it appeared uncertain yesterday whether she was trying to keep her options open or was determined to force him to sack her, rather than relinquish the job.

She said her experience meant she was still the best MP to handle the portfolio.

Speaking from the first day of the party's caucus retreat in Whangarei, she continued to say the policy Dr Brash outlined last week was deficient.

But she denied she and he were engaged in a stand-off, saying the policy had not been signed off and she still hoped to influence it. She also suggested the issue of her spokesmanship might not arise.

But Dr Brash reiterated his desire to put the matter behind him by the time the retreat finishes tomorrow.

On Friday he said that he expected this to happen on Monday, but yesterday he said that he wanted to meet Mrs te Heuheu to discuss the issue after the caucus had discussed its Maori Affairs policy this morning.

Dr Brash said that while aspects of the policy he outlined last week had yet to gain caucus approval, he had no doubt this would occur.

And he repeated that if Mrs te Heuheu was at "fundamental variance" with it and refused to relinquish the shadow portfolio, he would take it from her. He said they had yet to talk properly about her concerns.

It would be untenable for Mrs te Heuheu to keep the job and continue to undermine Dr Brash - especially given his ultimatum.

But sacking her will add fuel to critics' claims the party is embarking on a Maori-bashing campaign.

Mrs te Heuheu said yesterday that her family wanted her to keep the job. But it was unclear if this meant she would force Dr Brash to sack her rather than relinquish it - or whether she was seeking some type of compromise.

If Dr Brash makes a decision tomorrow, he might give Mrs te Heuheu a day to consider it.

Colleagues may examine whether any face-saving compromises are possible - such as allowing Mrs te Heuheu time to suggest additions to the policy.

But MPs, buoyed by positive reactions to the speech, are adamant any compromise would require the MP to support the policy.

Act party leader Richard Prebble said Dr Brash "should just put it to Georgina that she has got to either support the policy or resign".

"'But of course, [Prime Minister] Helen Clark can't make her Maori members toe the line either."