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Act takes swipe at National

Feb 22, 2005 11:51 AM

The Act Party has turned on its old ally and potential coalition partner, National, with a swipe at party leader Don Brash.

Act's latest newsletter, put together by former leader Richard Prebble, warns a possible coup may be brewing.

Prebble told One News he is bewildered by National's parliamentary tactics.

"Don Brash, the leader of the opposition, didn't say a word in the House for two weeks at a time when the opposition really had the government on the ropes. And then we have a senior National Party MP, Murray McCully, who hasn't turned up in the chamber all year and apparently isn't going to caucus. Something's not right," Prebble says.

In its weekly newsletter Act is also claiming Brash has "lost control of his caucus and is clearly not leading it".

Current Act leader Rodney Hide would neither support nor criticise Prebble in regards to the statement.

Prebble's comments come after a fortnight where National MPs Bill English and Tony Ryall performed strongly, criticising the government over school exams and 111 emergency calls.

In response National is dismissing the criticism and brushing off the Act Party.

National deputy leader Gerry Brownlee says he has no interest in Act.

"Our mission is to defeat the current government and I think we're doing a good job of getting them on the ropes," Brownlee says.

He also denies National strategist McCully is missing in action or that Brash, who declined to speak with One News, is looking shaky.

"We're doing very nicely thank you. Don Brash is in charge of the National Party. It's a shame Act couldn't just get a bit more vote to help change the government," Brownlee told One News.