Hide and Roy bury the hatchet and 'move on'

Act leader Rodney Hide. Photo / Mark Mitchell

All is not rosy, but Act is moving on.

That was the message yesterday as party leader Rodney Hide and list MP Heather Roy fronted reporters together for the first time in a week in an attempt to appear united and ready to put the past behind them.

They arrived from an emergency caucus meeting - the day after Mrs Roy's unexpected early return to Parliament - where apologies were exchanged and the MPs voted unanimously to support the leader and his new deputy, John Boscawen.

When asked why things were now so "rosy" a week after the dysfunctional relationship between him and Mrs Roy was laid bare in her leaked dossier, Mr Hide said: "They're not rosy."

Mrs Roy added: "We're moving forward."

The former Associate Defence Minister, ousted last week as Act deputy leader, said she wasn't just putting on a brave face.

"I think the guys are pleased to have me back because it's another person to share the load ... This isn't just a brave face."

In her dossier, Mrs Roy attacked Mr Hide as an intimidating bully trying to undermine her, and said that she did not want to meet him alone because she feared for her safety.

Yesterday, Mr Hide accepted that he could be perceived as a bully. He reiterated that he was not a bully, but could be "forceful".

"I can set high standards and sometimes get frustrated. I do accept comments like that and I strive to be better."

Mr Hide did not back down from his comments on Tuesday that Mrs Roy would struggle to return to caucus because of all the questions the dossier raised.

"I underestimated Heather's resilience, and over the years I should have learned that this is a very resilient woman," he said.

"I didn't want Heather Roy to leave Parliament. We've actually got a very experienced MP and now experienced minister on board. Why would I want to lose that?"

The dossier also alleged Mr Hide had leaked a defence paper to Act member Nick Kearney, but yesterday, Mrs Roy said she accepted the leader's word that did not happen. She also accepted his word that he had not tried to remove her as Associate Defence Minister or discredit her because of a perceived threat to his leadership.

She no longer had any issues with having to meet Mr Hide alone, she said.

Mrs Roy apologised to the caucus for the damage the document, leaked by her former ministerial adviser, had caused.

She said she supported Mr Hide as the party leader and, when pushed, said he was the best person for the job.

Mr Hide also apologised to Mrs Roy.

"I apologise to Heather for any distress I might have caused and I'm happy to do that.

"It's never my intention to upset people, and certainly not to upset people on my own team."

Mr Hide had previously criticised her performance as a minister and said her former adviser Simon Ewing-Jarvie was an undue influence.

Act member Peter Tashkoff, who is challenging Mr Hide for the party nomination in Epsom, said it was a "humiliating back-down" for the leader.

"As late as yesterday, Hide was still laying on the heat. Overnight, he's realised that he could not win this battle and he's taken the only option left to him."

ACT CLOSURE
Apologies
* From Hide, for causing Roy distress.
* From Roy, for the damage from the leaked dossier, though she didn't leak it.

Acceptance
* From Roy, that Hide did not leak a Cabinet paper to Act member Nick Kearney.
* From Roy, that Hide did not try to undermine her or try to have her removed as a minister.