| 2oth June 2007 |
TALKS CONCERN ACT SUPPORTERS ACT-LABOUR 572 words Jul 3rd 2007 4:27pm Politics/Act
By Grant Fleming of NZPA
Wellington, July 3 NZPA - Revelations of talks between ACT and Labour have prompted uproar among ACT supporters -- forcing one of the party's MPs to urgently clarify its stance.
ACT leader Rodney Hide yesterday revealed the two parties had agreed to consult each other on legislation where they might have a shared interest.
Previously Labour has ignored the right-wing ACT when seeking support for legislation.
But after talks over the past fortnight Labour agreed to support Mr Hide's Regulatory Responsibility Bill and Mr Hide agreed to look at the latest version of a bill to set up a trans-Tasman therapeutics agency -- legislation ACT has vigorously opposed.
But the talks have prompted concerns in ACT circles, forcing MP Heather Roy to issue a "special edition" of her Friday newsletter to clarify the party's stance.
"As this will be quite alarming for some of you, I did not believe it could wait until Friday for me to clarify the situation in my regular diary," she wrote in a newsletter emailed to supporters today.
In it she stressed ACT was not entering into any formal agreement with Labour and her stance on the therapeutics bill had not changed.
"We've never discussed the sort of formal arrangement that every minor party -- except ACT and the Maori Party -- has with Labour and, to the best of my knowledge, we aren't discussing that now either," she said.
"Like those who emailed, many of you will be wondering if or why I have done an about-turn on the Therapeutics Goods Bill -- I have not, and will continue to oppose this bill in its current form."
Mrs Roy told NZPA the special newsletter had been prompted by calls and emails from supporters, but would not say how many she had received.
Nevertheless she supported the talks with Labour -- which were no different to talks ACT had held with a range of other parties -- and necessary to progress shared interests under MMP.
Prime Minister Helen Clark yesterday said Mr Hide had indicated to her ACT wished to play a more constructive role in Parliament.
"They don't want to be seen as a footstool for the National Party -- automatically counted as two votes in with them."
Mr Hide said ACT had been trying hard to be more positive.
The change in tack for the former "perk buster" follows a tumultuous year in which he appeared on TVNZ's Dancing With the Stars, split from his wife and shed a massive amount of weight.
Mr Hide said ACT was prepared to support any legislation that furthered its own free-market philosophy. "That means working with political parties of all stripes."
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