Suspended MP's threat escalates party row

Rakaia MP Brian Connell's row with the National Party hierarchy has escalated, with the MP now threatening to ask the police to investigate claims that senior MP Nick Smith obtained his confidential information.

Mr Connell was effectively censured by the National Party board and then suspended from the National caucus this week.

He said yesterday the Press had told him it had "irrefutable evidence" that Dr Smith had passed on confidential information from Mr Connell's diary and telephone log to the National Party board, as it moved to take action against him.

"If the allegations are true, then I think it's an extremely serious matter and I would carry a deep sense of betrayal."

They would suggest a "treacherous" conspiracy had been mounted against him, he said. He planned to seek legal advice with a view to going to the police as it might be an "illegal activity has transpired".

Dr Smith, the caucus representative on the board, yesterday rejected the claim he'd received or passed on confidential information from Mr Connell's office as "totally untrue."

"I'm satisfied that I have acted ethically and properly both as a board member and a member of caucus."

He was particularly resentful his electorate agent Cheryl Hill, reported as having received information about Mr Connell from his own electorate agent Robynne Nicoll, had been dragged into the issue, he said.

"Cheryl has not ever passed any confidential information on to me from Brian Connell's office."

Told that Dr Smith denied the allegations, Mr Connell said: "Well that's fine, he'll stand the test of an investigation like everyone else I suppose."

He couldn't say whether the Press claim was accurate but "I don't intend to let those allegations rest, they are much too serious".

"Look, I'm happy to give him the benefit of the doubt. I'd like to believe him because they are very serious allegations and if he's to be exonerated no one will be happier than me."

Mr Connell said before the claims were made he had come to the conclusion he should not resign as an MP and should keep his head down, but once they were put to him he had to make a judgment call about how to tackle them.

He realised his actions now were likely to put him further offside with party bosses but said he wasn't prepared to swallow the claims silently.

"I couldn't live with myself if the allegations went unchallenged. If people have engaged in these activities they must be exposed and dealt with.

"I have to say if these allegations were proven true and the party took no action, then I couldn't in all conscience be a part of the party."

Mr Connell is believed to have tried to sack Ms Nicoll, but he denied this to the Herald earlier this week.

Dr Smith said he had spoken with her once in recent weeks, after she rang him "saying that she had been dismissed by Brian and the discussion we had was simply one of support for her in her employment situation".

"No issues of confidentiality" were discussed then, he said.

Mr Connell refused to discuss Ms Nicoll's employment situation yesterday saying it was a matter between her and her employer, the Parliamentary Service. Ms Nicoll referred the Herald to her lawyer Tim Silver, who said the allegations were "absurd and we don't think them worthy of comment".

A spokesman for National leader Don Brash declined to comment yesterday other than to repeat that "Mr Connell's future is in his own hands".

Mr Connell has regularly been a thorn in Dr Brash's side and was suspended as a result of behaviour over several years, Dr Brash has said.

"The final straw was Mr Connell's public comments after the last caucus about the discussions that took place at that meeting," he said on Tuesday.

Mr Connell had challenged Dr Brash about his alleged affairs at that caucus meeting.