Key electorate: Epsom

By BERNARD ORSMAN

Rodney Hide is like a caged beast at this election. Despite itching to harangue sitting National MP Richard Worth for being born "with a silver foot in his mouth", the man known as Rhino is a model of restraint.

The Act list MP is registered as a candidate in the Epsom seat but in the interests of the party he is asking residents to give him their party vote rather than electorate vote.

The energetic Mr Hide misses the excitement, the adrenalin rush that goes with a winner-takes-all electorate battle. Yes, he would have loved another crack at the seat but, having taken the tough decision, Mr Hide has been surprised at his own discipline.

Even so, there is a remote chance that the tables could turn in Epsom. The National Party is not ruling out a late deal if it looks as though Act will fall short of the 5 per cent threshold for seats in Parliament.

Such an arrangement would involve National supporters being urged to give their constituency vote to Mr Hide.

But the chances of a deal have faded since support for Act lifted above 5 per cent.

Mr Hide is confident Act will sail above the threshold and his advice to centre-right voters in Epsom is that they should "follow National Party advice and vote for the National Party candidate and give your party vote to Act".

The message is similar from Mr Worth, the former chairman of law firm Simpson Grierson, who edged out Mr Hide in a bruising contest in 1999: "National is pursuing the constituency vote."

At that election, Mr Hide polled 10,453 votes compared with Mr Worth's 12,361, slashing National's majority under former MP Christine Fletcher from 20,642 to 1908.

At the same time, Act's party vote in Epsom dipped from 20 per cent to 16. The party is out to reverse that trend in an electorate that covers some of the wealthiest suburbs in Auckland: Remuera, Newmarket, Parnell, Epsom and Mt Eden.

First-term MP Mr Worth can only speculate on the size of his majority and has produced a set of policies for Epsom based on a safer community, infrastructure, prosperity and health. Many of these policies, such as National's economic policy of tax incentives for small business and more equitable funding for the Auckland District Health Board, are out of reach on current polling.

Mr Worth has put the boot into Labour candidate Di Nash by claiming that as a member of the Auckland health board, she has a hand in its projected $72 million deficit.

Dr Nash is the biggest threat to Mr Worth (bar a last-minute deal with Act) but even so, the local GP is focused on building the party vote for Labour.

Green list MP Keith Locke is another candidate solely focused on the party vote in Epsom. Mr Locke is tapping into the strong liberal vein that runs through Epsom by promoting the Greens' stance on genetically modified organisms.

As associate transport spokesman, he is also promoting opposition to the eastern highway, and public transport alternatives.

In 1999, the Greens won 5.75 per cent of the party vote in Epsom. Their goal is to double that in this election.

Candidates:

Julie Fairey - Alliance

Rodney Hide - Act

Tony Molloy - Christian Heritage

Di Nash - Labour

Cindy Ruakere - United Future

Richard Worth - National

1999 Result: National (majority 1908)

1996 Result: National (majority: 20,642)


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