Connell would 'take a few people out' if he quit

Brian Connell

Banished National MP Brian Connell is threatening to take others down if he quits politics.

Mr Connell today told the Ashburton Guardian newspaper that he has two options - keep his head down and hope he is reinstated, or "come out swinging".

The National Party caucus yesterday blindsided Mr Connell with a vote to suspend him as a result of what National leader Don Brash described as a pattern of destructive behaviour.

Mr Connell said the suspension came as a complete surprise, as Dr Brash had not expressed any concern to him about his behaviour.

The maverick MP said yesterday he was not considering quitting Parliament and forcing a by-election or leaving the National Party to become an independent, although he would not rule anything out.

Mr Connell told the newspaper today he needed some time to assess his options.

"This situation is one that is possibly the worst outcome and it was certainly not one I had anticipated."

He had two courses of action, he said.

"I can put my head down and say, while I have been poorly treated, I can forget about it all, work hard and hope I'm reinstated, or I can take the moral high ground and come out swinging. I'd kiss my political career goodbye but I'd take a few people out with me," he told the newspaper.

He would have to refrain from making disagreeable comments about Dr Brash if he was to make his way back into caucus. No apology was required, he said.

"Or I could continue down the disruptive salvo path," he said.

He would find out from his advisers whether they thought he was worth investing in, and said he would think about whether it was worthwhile persisting in politics.

There would be a personal cost in both decisions, he said.

"If I chose to become a non-entity, it would be difficult because you still have to like yourself when you look in the mirror in the morning but I know there is a real cost to speaking out in New Zealand."

A spokesman said Dr Brash was not commenting on Mr Connell's remarks today.

Mr Connell also maintained he had followed caucus rules.

"I may have been outspoken but I never broke any caucus protocol and I stand by that," Mr Connell said today.

Two weeks ago at caucus he challenged Dr Brash about his leadership qualities due to an alleged affair with businesswoman Diane Foreman.

The confrontation was leaked to the media, and Mr Connell gave interviews afterwards.

Dr Brash said that was the final straw - it was not what Mr Connell had said but the fact he had talked to the media about his caucus challenge.

"One of the fundamental rules of the National Party is that what goes on in the caucus is not discussed outside the caucus at all," Dr Brash said.

Mr Connell said he was not the one that leaked details of the caucus discussions about the alleged affair to the media.

He said yesterday he had spoken his mind on a number of things and did not regret speaking out about things he felt strongly about.

His electorate was his priority and if enough people felt he still had something to offer, "I'll put my head down".

"The last thing I want to do is to put my boot into the people in my constituency, but perversely I feel I have more influence now with the Government than I had as a backbencher in caucus," he told the Guardian.

He said that when he reached his decision it would be done without fanfare as it would be obvious by his actions "or lack of them" what he had decided to do.

- NZPA