KEY POINTS:
Don Brash, in one of his final gestures as National Party leader, let slip a secret about the party's Machiavelli - MP Murray McCully.
"Probably it is not unknown to some of you that Murray McCully is not the most popular member of the National Party caucus and not the most popular member of the wider National Party," Dr Brash told several hundred party faithful at North Harbour stadium.
"And I said to the caucus yesterday, every prior living National Party leader has warned me to be very careful of Murray McCully."
Like Dr Brash, Mr McCully came under the microscope in The Hollow Men. Nicky Hager's book made a number of unflattering remarks about the man Dr Brash made his confidant and unofficial chief strategist.
Yet the longevity of his tenure in the upper echelons suggests that while he might get up people's noses, he's clearly doing something useful.
Bill English - quoted by Hager in an email as stating that senior MPs would "not work in a Government run by McCully" - now says: "McCully cops more criticism than he deserves."
While the pair don't always agree, Mr English says "he's a good political thinker" and "one of those relatively few politicians who are willing to put up an opinion, make a judgment and take the blame if it goes wrong."
While they've had their ups and downs, they have worked together for 16 years and have "a pretty good" relationship.
One National MP says former Prime Minister Jim Bolger summed up Mr McCully's value when he used to say: "You should always get McCully's advice, but you shouldn't always use it."
Mr Bolger and other former National leaders maintained their tradition of refusing to talk about caucus matters yesterday, but the Weekend Herald was left with the impression that Dr Brash's references to their warning comments were in at least some cases inaccurate.
Mr McCully was behind the sacking of Katherine Rich and Georgina te Heuheu when they publicly disagreed with Dr Brash over Orewa speeches which caused what many believe were avoidable caucus rifts.
While John Key and Mr McCully get on well and Mr Key says his strategy advice will continue to be sought, it was another pointed line between his and Dr Brash's leadership.
Mr McCully had already asked to be relieved of the position formerly described as "parliamentary assistant to the leader".
He has his sights set on becoming National's Foreign Affairs Minister in the next Government.
Asked if he's maligned or misunderstood, Mr McCully is philosophical.
"Various leaders have asked me to do difficult jobs occasionally and sometimes that can cause misunderstandings, occasionally some hurt.
"I've probably stood on more toes than most people in the caucus, I accept that, that's the price you pay for being at the very exciting and challenging end of the political process."
He is, however, annoyed at some of the "myths" around his involvement in leadership coups - he says he was only involved in one, when Mr English rolled Jenny Shipley.
Nevertheless, he jokes, he's sure some colleagues are relieved that he'll be travelling abroad frequently in his foreign affairs role.
