Embattled Hide clings to leadership

Rodney Hide. Photo / Doug Sherring

Epsom MP Rodney Hide continues to cling to his leadership of embattled Act as a party insider and political opponents called for him to step down over his role in allegedly covering up MP David Garrett's identity theft charges.

Mr Hide yesterday confirmed he would stand aside as Act leader if it was in the interests of the party.

However he told the Herald: "The party have assured me that it is not the case.

"I don't say that lightly ... You should appreciate the entire caucus and senior party members knew about David. We're all in it together.

"I have to accept responsibility for it as leader."

Speaking from Act's Waikato regional conference yesterday, Mr Hide said he had not canvassed the support of all his caucus in recent days but nevertheless believed he had it.

However Act's caucus, now reduced to four MPs with the resignation of Mr Garrett on Friday, is said to be split evenly into pro and anti-Hide factions.

Mr Hide said he had spoken with sixth-placed party list candidate Hilary Calvert, who will come into Parliament if Mr Garrett resigns as an MP, to keep her abreast of developments and he was assured of her support.

Mr Garrett has taken two weeks' leave to consider his next move.

Peter Tashkoff, the next list candidate after Ms Calvert, said it was possible Mr Hide would lead the party into the next election "but if he does it will be the last one for the party".

He believed Mr Hide had little choice but to tough it out after the events of the past week.

"David Garrett has other choices, he can go back and regenerate his law career ... but Mr Hide has nothing to go back to."

Deputy leader John Boscawen said Mr Hide had his "absolute" support.

Party founder and MP Sir Roger Douglas yesterday also said Mr Hide had his backing but Mr Tashkoff believed neither Sir Roger nor former deputy leader Heather Roy really supported him.

"Let's be serious about it, they have to stand there and say nothing because it's part of party unity."

The key to Mr Hide's future was Ms Calvert "and she'll be aware of that".

Yesterday Ms Calvert told the Herald Mr Hide had her support and she was "not expecting to make that choice" between him and any perceived Roy-Douglas faction.

At this point the Act caucus "may be in a position to refocus itself a little moving forward ... heading back towards the things it's been trying to achieve during this term", she said.

The Dunedin lawyer said her focus in Parliament would be "a little bit different to Mr Garrett's".

"My focus is more on keeping Government both accountable and not in our lives more than it needs to be."

Meanwhile, Mr Hide told TVNZ's Q+A programme yesterday he was unaware that Mr Garrett had been granted name suppression over his identity theft charges at his 2005 trial.

Labour MP Clayton Cosgrove said Mr Hide was "all over the place" on what he knew about the matter.

"I just don't find it credible, and I don't think any other New Zealander would, that Mr Hide was advised by Mr Garrett years ago, 'Hey, I've committed a pretty bad offence and was discharged without conviction,' and Mr Hide said, 'Tell me no more.'

"Rodney would have known about the suppression order, that's the reason he thought he could get away with covering it up. If there was no suppression order I suspect Mr Garrett would never have become a member of Parliament."

A Herald-Digipoll last week showed voter support for Act within Auckland's Super City boundaries was now running at just 1.6 per cent.