Party let leader down - Prebble

By HELEN TUNNAH

Act leader Richard Prebble has criticised the National party, saying it has not given leader Bill English the support he deserves.

He said he did not think the result of the election was a foregone conclusion, but National's party and caucus should have given Mr English more help.

"Labour's run a very negative campaign, based around photo opportunities," he said.

"If National had gone for substance rather than also trying for photo opportunities, what I think this election would have shown is that the centre right would have won the election easily.

"In fairness to Bill English, if he'd had the support from his own party that I think he deserves, it would be doing a lot better."

National's weak ratings, at around 23 per cent in the last two Herald-DigiPoll surveys, means it has little chance of leading a coalition government despite the slide in Labour support.

If National's current polling translates into election day performance, it will leave Act without a senior coalition option, and an entry to government.

Even if National does lift in the polls, obstacles to a centre right coalition remain.

Mr Prebble this month told a Chinese audience in Auckland he would not work with New Zealand First's Winston Peters.

At the same meeting, National list MP Pansy Wong was told Chinese voters felt betrayed by former National leader Jim Bolger when he went into coalition with Mr Peters after having accused him of racism.

Mr Prebble said the message was a warning to Labour, which would lose support among its own liberal voters and Asian New Zealanders if it contemplated a coalition deal with NZ First.

Act is polling around 8 per cent this election, marginally ahead of its result last election and an indication that it has not picked up the 7-point slump in National's support.

Mr Prebble said that was not necessarily a surprise.

"Helen Clark at the beginning of the campaign tried to frighten centre right voters into voting Labour to stop the Greens. That was where National lost its vote to Labour.

"It then became clear a week ago that Labour couldn't form a minority government. That freed that group of voters, and they've scattered to the four winds."

Mr Prebble said that being left in opposition did not mean Act would be unable to influence Parliament.

"I just don't accept the idea that in a parliamentary democracy there isn't a role for an opposition."

He said Labour would be able to rely on Act support on some issues, such as free trade deals and "sound monetary" policies.

"If we think it's a measure that's going to promote prosperity and freedom and choice, we give our support.

"Regardless of who wins, we're going to continue to be feisty, we're going to continue to be upfront, we're going to continue to be a constructive voice in Parliament for fresh ideas."

Full news coverage:
nzherald.co.nz/election

Election links:
The parties, policies, voting information, and more

Ask a politician:
Send us a question, on any topic, addressed to any party leader. We'll choose the best questions to put to the leaders, and publish the answers in our election coverage.