Nats heckle Hide survey

By FRANCESCA MOLD

The National Party is calling on Epsom voters to "assist" their MP, Richard Worth, by telling Act's Rodney Hide not to stand in the electorate.

A newsletter, circulated to National supporters in the wealthy Auckland suburb, suggests voters tick "no" in a questionnaire that asks if they want Mr Hide to contest the seat.

The newsletter says ticking "no" will help Mr Worth and National.

Mr Hide said the newsletter showed National was worried about him challenging for the Epsom seat, which he lost to Mr Worth by about 1900 votes last time.

He said about 2000 people had responded to his questionnaire and they were "overwhelmingly" supportive of him standing in Epsom.

Mr Worth said he had read the newsletter but had not written the piece about Mr Hide's questionnaire.

But it raised an important issue about how the division of centre-right votes between him and Mr Hide could result in another candidate pipping them both at the post.

"There is no room for Act and National to both field candidates."

Act is still considering whether to give Mr Hide the go-ahead to fight in Epsom. It wants to focus on securing party votes at the election rather than spending time and money trying to secure a seat.

The party said last month that leader Richard Prebble would not stand in Wellington Central so he would be able to focus on selling Act's zero tolerance to crime message nationally.

Mr Worth said Act would be acutely aware that the last time Mr Hide contested the seat, Act's party vote in Epsom dipped about 4 per cent from 20 per cent at the previous election.

Mr Hide admitted there had been some drop in the party vote in Epsom last time.

He said there was always a slight trade-off but it was not enough to cost the party a list MP.

"That's a matter for the party to consider when it's weighing it up whether I should contest the seat."

Mr Hide said Act had carried out polls in Epsom to determine whether he had sufficient support to stand.

The results were yet to be presented to the party.

"But if Act goes for the seat and says it wants to win it, we have a high chance of taking it."