Epsom rivals race into home straight

National's Richard Worth (left) and Act's Rodney Hide went toe to toe yesterday. Picture / Kenny Rodger

It might have been the television cameras, but it was a rambunctious crowd and equally loud candidates who went along to cheer the race for Epsom into the home straight.

The finishing line is looking increasingly like death row for Act leader Rodney Hide's party.

So the television cameras and media all rolled up to the Newmarket Business Association forum to watch Mr Hide's last debate at what was expected to be the death throes of the Act Party.

Chairman Cameron Brewer - Mr Hide's former press secretary - quite forgot himself and thought he was John Campbell.

"Rarely do we have people who have such short names all as candidates in one seat," he marvelled.

He had Richard Worth, 16 on National's party list lined up to "become leader of the National Party, if the 15 members before him all perish on a parliamentary rugby trip".

At 61, Green MP Keith Locke "was a living tribute to the youthful powers of organic food".

For Labour's Stuart Nash it was "with Jonathan Hunt now in the UK, Nash is without doubt the best-looking Labour Party candidate this election".

"Shuffles" was the name of the bar manager, Mr Brewer said. "Now he sounds like a swinging voter ... "

If so, he was about the only swing voter there. The crowd of 125 were about three-quarters Act supporters.

The good humour ended there. The race for Epsom which had so far been a polite jousting around the finer points of tactical voting descended into personal taunts.

There were accusations of treachery, first from Mr Nash, aware Mr Hide's parents were in the audience.

"I understand Mr Hide is from a good, working-class family. Working men want to know if it's diesel running through your veins or something darker. Women want to know if it's ice or something colder.

"You have betrayed your heritage and the voters agree. It is time to go, Rodney. It is time to go."

Mr Nash has previously said he was waiting for word from on high that he should pull out of the race. It was dependent on National cutting a deal with Act. The deal never came and neither did the word. But Mr Nash got bored with waiting so went for it anyway, urging his supporters to vote for Mr Worth.

It was met with calls of "traitor" from the audience, and later, a return barb from Mr Hide: "Mr Nash said I had betrayed my working class origins. We were never working class, Stuart. We were working ...

"How bad is it for a Labour Party candidate to accuse me of betraying my roots when he is the great grandson of Walter Nash and standing in Epsom and anointing a National Party candidate? If you want to see betrayal, there's one."

And there was trickery, as Act supporters tried again and again to get Mr Worth to slip up and admit it had all been a huge mistake and Epsom should vote for Rodney Hide.

Mr Brewer tried asking who they would give their votes to if they had to withdraw. Mr Worth side-stepped the question, and Mr Brewer briefly forgot he was John Campbell and didn't bail him up on it.

Former National and Epsom MP and Auckland Mayor Christine Fletcher was in the front row.

Afterward she said she supported Mr Worth. "Mr Hide is a sad, desperate man scrambling about for his political survival. I can feel sorry for him, but the best way to achieve a centre-right government is not to be duped by party political broadcasts."

At the end perhaps the most unscientific poll of the entire campaign was done.

Who do you think Epsom voters should choose? Mr Brewer asked.

The result accorded with Mr Hide's tip for Saturday.

"Epsom voters will be giving their votes to Rodney Hide because they know that's the way to change the Government, and it's bye bye Helen."

Only Saturday will show whether Mr Hide's unswerving optimism is justified. But the polls still show it is more likely to be bye bye Rodney.