Anderton acts to quell revolt on war stance

By AUDREY YOUNG and VERNON SMALL

Alliance leader Jim Anderton moved yesterday to stamp his authority on the junior Coalition party in the face of an ongoing internal rebellion over its war position.

In a move particularly aimed at Women's Affairs Minister Laila Harre, Mr Anderton confirmed Alliance ministers' support for the Government's decision to offer troops to the United States-led forces. Ms Harre opposes the offer.

But Mr Anderton risks incurring the wrath of party activists, who at the weekend made it clear they wanted no part of the US military campaign in Afghanistan.

Prime Minister Helen Clark is taking a hard line, making it clear that nothing has changed and that she will not countenance any dissent.

"To avoid any doubt, the Deputy Prime Minister [Mr Anderton] has advised the cabinet that all Alliance ministers stand by their previous support for the October 3 resolution, approved by 113 MPs, and that they will continue to do so publicly," she told a press conference yesterday.

"I've made it clear that the Government is not reviewing the offer it made. So I guess people undertake their reviews in that context."

But Alliance leftists want a change and have issued veiled threats to act if progress is not made by the next council meeting on December 7.

Alliance councillor and Hamilton City councillor Dave Macpherson said yesterday that the caucus had been out of step with members and now had a chance to redress that.

"Progress needs to be seen to be being made by the party, or the Alliance council will have to step in and make some firmer decisions about what the Alliance stance on this issue is."

The strains in the junior Coalition partner are showing just as Mr Anderton takes the helm as Acting Prime Minister during Helen Clark's trip to South America.

The Prime Minister's trips away usually spell trouble at home.

By getting reaffirmations of previous positions yesterday, Mr Anderton was making a pre-emptive move against Ms Harre.

Under the principle of collective responsibility, if she speaks against a cabinet decision she could be fired.

Behind all the trouble was the October 3 resolution passed by Parliament pledging total support for the US approach to the war on terrorism and for the offer of SAS troops.

The Alliance conference voted at the weekend to review the caucus support for the SAS offer.

Adding fuel to the fire are the different expectations being placed on the resolution by different people.

Ms Harre said the caucus was obliged to respond quickly to the "significant level of discomfort" with the party's position.

Mr Anderton's own interpretations of the review have changed rapidly.

"We won't be moving any sooner than I intended in the first place," he said on Sunday when asked how soon the caucus review would be.

Now he says it will begin today in the caucus. MP Phillida Bunkle will take motions proposing a structure for the review.

Any change in stance by the Alliance would not necessarily affect the offer of the SAS. All parties support it except the Greens.

Helen Clark said no dissent had been raised in the cabinet.

And Mr Anderton said there was none at the caucus meeting before the October 3 parliamentary vote, where Ms Bunkle abstained.

National leader Bill English predicts that Mr Anderton will lose his job if he does not change his position.

"This is going to be a fight to the death within the Alliance, and it is going to be very disruptive as well," he said.

He said National would reconsider its support for Labour's free-trade deal, GM policy and war policy if they became confidence issues.

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