Brash in, brat pack shaky

By VERNON SMALL andJOHN ARMSTRONG

National leader Bill English is today expected to unveil a post-election reshuffle boosting Don Brash on to National's front bench and into the party's finance spokesmanship.

The revamp is designed to provide a swift counter to the Prime Minister's Cabinet reshuffle announced yesterday.

Other casualties are expected on the existing front bench aside from present finance spokesman David Carter.

Mr English is under pressure to cut his ties with the "brat pack" - deputy leader Roger Sowry and close colleagues Tony Ryall and Nick Smith. Mr Ryall may well be the sacrificial lamb.

Mr English is also expected to promote high-performing second-term MPs such as Simon Power.

But in an added complication, National may not get its expected quota of nine frontbench seats.

After its disastrous election result, other Opposition parties are pressing Speaker Jonathan Hunt to give them more of the prominent seats opposite key Government ministers.

National expected to fill the first 27 seats, giving it nine frontbench slots, Mr Sowry said yesterday.

New Zealand First leader Winston Peters, with 13 MPs, and the Greens are annoyed that they could be left with a much lower frontbench ratio than National's - in the Greens' case only one frontbencher for its nine MPs.

Green co-leader Rod Donald said it was time to end traditional seating. It wants two frontbench seats for its co-leaders.

Mr Peters is asking for three or four instead of the two pencilled in for him.

One proposal would see National reduced to seven frontbench seats.

Parliament's rules state only that a party's MPs should be seated together.

Disputes are resolved by the Speaker, but Mr Hunt does not officially resume the title until he is re-elected when the House sits on August 26.

Where will the MPs sit when they vote on a Speaker? Catch 22.

A formal meeting between representatives of all parties is being called next week to hammer out a solution.

Mr Peters and Mr Donald also question the rule designating Mr English, as head of the biggest non-Government party, the Leader of the Opposition.

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