Brash advised to buy voters

Don Brash promises not to be diverted by dirty tricks. Picture / Greg Bowker

An embarrassing email from a member of Don Brash's inner circle has been leaked, advising the National leader that in order to win the election he would have to "slosh those funds around and buy your way to the Treasury benches".

Special adviser Bryan Sinclair wrote 10 months ago that "soft centre voters are inherently self-interested and will vote according to what they can get out of you".

"You need to be sloppy, soft and wet, ie open up the cheque book, as excruciating as this will feel."

Prime Minister Helen Clark told One News the email "tells us how dishonest, duplicitous, and cynical the National Party campaign is".

"They know they cannot afford those tax cuts but they are prepared to say anything to win."

The email also insults other members of Dr Brash's team.

It urges Dr Brash to collect donations himself now because he could not rely on party president Judy Kirk or general manager Steven Joyce to do so because they represented a National Party that donors were sceptical about.

It suggests that donors would not be impressed with the sort of people Dr Brash had close to him, including MP Murray McCully and deputy leader Gerry Brownlee.

It criticises the skills of people Dr Brash had around him and says he will have to work around them if he is to get to the Beehive.

"I think you have limped along this year due to a chronic shortage of equipped, competent, super-efficient and campaign-experienced people around you. At a quick glance everything is much like it was when Bill [English] was leader."

The email follows the publication of leaked emails 10 days ago of advice to Dr Brash from Act and Business Roundtable officials both before and after the leadership change.

A spokesman for Dr Brash said last night: "That was a view of a single staffer when things were not going that well for National. That's ancient history now and as you can see now we are in great shape and we are not going to be diverted by dirty tricks campaigns over stolen emails."

He said Mr Sinclair's role was to support Dr Brash on the road.

Mr Brownlee described Mr Sinclair on Newstalk ZB as the person who went around with Dr Brash and organised the chairs at meetings.

Mr Sinclair, whose title is special adviser - projects, has been with Dr Brash since just before the leadership change in 2003.

Meanwhile Dr Brash was confronted head-on in Rotorua yesterday with accusations of running a dirty tricks campaign by Greens co-leader Rod Donald.

Asked if a leaflet attacking the Greens might have been the work of Australian consultant Lynton Crosby, Dr Brash assured him that Mr Crosby had nothing to do with National's campaign and National had nothing to do with the leaflet.

SINCLAIR SAID ...

On winning elections

"You need to be sloppy, soft and wet - ie open up the cheque book, as excruciating as this will feel."

On staffing

"As nice as we all might be the team that sits around the table on Tuesday afternoons will not deliver you across to the Beehive next year."

On fundraising

"You need to collect the booty now. Your ability to 'collect' is being eroded every day that goes by."

- additional reporting Ruth Berry