National returns Act's fire

Sniping between potential coalition colleagues National and Act intensified yesterday after former Act leader Richard Prebble this week claimed that National leader Don Brash had lost control of his caucus.

The comments irritated National MPs who said it was a sign of Act's desperation: on current polling it would be wiped out at this year's election.

Mr Prebble made the comments in a weekly newsletter he writes, citing as evidence the fact that National Party education spokesman Bill English had run the Scholarship issue on his own in Parliament.

Mr English, a former party leader, said the swipe was "just ridiculous".

"This is a measure of Act's desperation. If they want to get support they need to run with issues that are going to get public attention and offer some constructive alternatives, and leave the business of National's tactics in the House to National."

National Party welfare spokeswoman Judith Collins said she was reluctant to criticise Act - "I don't like to kick a dog when it's down" - but said Mr Prebble's suggestion was "laughable".

"I don't think Richard really ever had control of his own caucus and the fact is Don has got control of the caucus."

But Mr Prebble view was reinforced by two of his Act colleagues, Deborah Coddington and Stephen Franks.

Deborah Coddington said Dr Brash was not leading in the House and, contrary to some views, the House did matter.

"To me a leader in the House is someone who is like a general leading you into battle and they give you morale so you can go outside the House and campaign and fight.

"And I just don't see Don having that, in that bear pit that is Parliament."

She thought it was a bit "extreme" of Mr Prebble to say Dr Brash had lost control of the caucus in Parliament "but he's certainly not leading the caucus in Parliament".

Mr Franks believed Mr Prebble was just "telling it like he sees it".

"There is the material for a team but you've got to be a team and what Richard is saying, I think quite fairly, is don't be self-indulgent."