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Act Party leader Rodney Hide is defending his role in the wake of the resignation of list MP David Garrett.
Garrett resigned from Act on Friday following revelations that he used a dead child's identity to obtain a passport and had failed to disclose a previous assault conviction in an affidavit to the judge.
Speaking to TV ONE's Q and A show Hide revealed that the whole Act caucus and some of the senior party management knew about the passport, but not about the affidavit.
Hide defended his leadership and the party. He said that Act stood on its promise to introduce key legislation, and to support the National Party in forming a government.
"If it wasn't for Act we probably wouldn't have a National government and if we did...it would be utterly reliant on the Maori Party& it would be a very different government," he said.
Garrett, is currently considering whether he will remain in parliament as an independent.
As Act's law and order spokesperson, Garrett had been a proponent of the "three-strikes" legislation, which denies parole to offenders with three convictions.
The Garrett scandal is the latest to hit the party.
Last year Hide, known for his "perk-busting" stance came under
criticism for
taking his girlfriend on a taxpayer funded trip.
