Act accepts cooling off with National

Act is resigned to a more distant relationship with National, a leaked letter from Act president Catherine Judd to party members sent yesterday confirms.

She suggests the party should position itself as one that should be prepared to sit outside Government, even if National were in power.

The letter was sent to members seeking their support for her re-election as president in the face of a challenge by a relatively unknown Christchurch member, Gareth Turner.

It comes in the same week that former leader Richard Prebble surprised National with a claim in his weekly newsletter that criticised National's tactics in the House and said it appeared that leader Don Brash had lost control of his caucus.

The new relationship is a departure from the adulation Dr Brash received in 2003 shortly before he became National leader when Catherine Judd described him as the ninth Act MP and he was invited to speak at the party's Christchurch conference.

Catherine Judd said in her letter that over the past few years, Act had tried to work with the National Party "but our efforts have not always been warmly received".

"National appears to be of the view that they can govern alone after the next election and that there is no need to work with any other party."

She said she would maintain her good relations with key National figures.

But she believed Act would have to position itself as a party "more interested in having influence than power, always prepared to sit on the cross-benches and hold the Government to account".