KEY POINTS:
Political advertising man John Ansell has left Act just four months after agreeing to run the party's advertising for the election campaign.
Mr Ansell, the creator of National's Iwi/Kiwi series of billboards and Taxathon television ads in 2005, had initially been approached to work for National again this year.
However, he moved to Act in March after party co-founder Sir Roger Douglas decided to return to politics.
Yesterday, Mr Ansell confirmed he had quit the post and said he was not given the latitude he needed to brand the party effectively. He had wanted to be able to manage Act candidates' campaigns nationwide to ensure they were marketing the party in a uniform way.
"I wanted a mandate to do my job properly but I think I'm regarded as a bit of a troublemaker. In political parties you get 60-odd candidates creating their own personality cults rather than branding the party in a unified way.
"Yet other than Rodney [Hide, the party leader] they've got bugger all chance of winning their electorates. It's nuts and I said as much but couldn't get any traction. So I was trying to lay down the law that it was not about them, it was about the party vote."
He would not say who his differences were with, saying he still supported Act and would not work for another party this election.
He has so far produced a brochure advertising Act's "Twenty Point Plan" and said he had also delivered ideas for other advertising which could be effective on a limited budget.
He said he would know whether his work was successful if Act's polling - now stuck on 1 per cent despite Sir Roger's return - lifted after the brochure was delivered to households.
Mr Hide said Mr Ansell was "fantastic talent" but he would not comment on his reasons for leaving.
Mr Ansell said there was no major falling out and he was still discussing the matter with Sir Roger, but did not expect to return.
