McCarten book pegs out Alliance dirty washing

Deputy Prime Minister Jim Anderton threatened to resign from the Alliance with two other ministers last year if Laila Harre was elected deputy leader, a book by president Matt McCarten claims.

"He threatened that if Laila was elected, then Sandra Lee, Matt Robson and he would resign their Alliance membership forthwith," Mr McCarten wrote in Matt McCarten: Rebel in the Ranks (Random House Ltd), published today.

Yesterday he said that was the reason Laila Harre did not stand at the party conference, where the leadership is elected.

"That was the end of that. They knew she had the support to win, that's why they used the threat."

Mr Anderton had also threatened there would be an early election if the Alliance council last year even discussed Laila Harre's bid to speak to striking New Zealand Herald workers. She was Acting Minister of Labour at the time.

"If the council decides to discuss this matter I will have no choice but to fly back to Wellington tonight, inform the Prime Minister of this matter and there will be an early election," Mr McCarten recalls Mr Anderton saying.

A few days after that meeting, Mr McCarten had tendered his resignation but was asked to reconsider by Mr Anderton.

Mr McCarten said he remembered the gist of conversations because he kept journals of key political events over the years.

The book reveals the years of wheeling and dealing and strained relations that preceded the eventual party split in April.

Mr Anderton is now leading the Progressive Coalition and Laila Harre is leading the Alliance.

Other claims in the book include:

* Sandra Lee threatening to resign as deputy leader if Alamein Kopu was not high on the 1996 party list.

* Alamein Kopu falling asleep and snoring at the first Alliance caucus in 1996.

* Mr Anderton trying to modify the party's tax policy just two months before the last election.

* The Democrats' preparedness to increase their funding to the Alliance if one of their MPs filled the vacant deputy's post in 1998.

* Winston Peters hiding in a hotel room wardrobe when a waiter knocked on the door while he was holding a private meeting with Mr Anderton about joining the Alliance, before NZ First was formed.

Mr McCarten also says Sandra Lee took no responsibility for the selection of Mrs Kopu, whom he had bitterly opposed.

Mrs Kopu switched allegiances to the National-led Government within months of being elected to Parliament in 1996.

He said Mrs Kopu fell asleep in the first caucus. "We all heard the snoring. Jim was shocked and stopped mid-sentence."

Mr McCarten said he had signed up to write the book last year after Mr Anderton had raised the possibility of his standing in Auckland Central - well before the party split - but it was brought forward for the election.

Mr McCarten is No 3 on the Alliance list. Any profit would go to the party, he said. His partner, Cathy Casey, who was formerly Mr Anderton's senior private secretary, helped write the book.

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