Rodney Hide keeps ministerial roles

John Kirk-Anderson

RODNEY HIDE: Will retain his ministerial roles.

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Don Brash has let Rodney Hide retain his ministerial portfolios as one of his first acts as ACT party leader.

Brash confirmed at a press conference today Hide would retain the Local Government, associate education and regulatory reform portfolios till the election but said ACT deputy John Boscawen would relinquish his consumer affairs portfolios to focus on his parliamentary role.

Brash also confirmed that Hide would retire from Parliament at the next election, rather than seek a place on ACT's list or seek to remain in Parliament.

Boscawen was confirmed as deputy leader and parliamentary leader because of Brash's status as a leader outside Parliament.

The big loser in Brash's caucus reshuffle was former ACT deputy Heather Roy, who was dumped as Hide's deputy when she challenged him for the leadership.

Roy said yesterday she would seek the deputy leadership if she had Brash's support but he confirmed today she did not put her name forward. That suggests she had neither Brash nor the ACT board's support.

Brash announced the changes in a boardroom at Chapman Tripp in Wellington today saying he was unable to make the announcement at Parliament because he was "not legally allowed" to hold a press conference there, because he was not a Member of Parliament.

Hide was rolled as leader last week after Brash described him as toxic and a liability to ACT.

Brash had also made it clear that he did not want Hide to retain his ministerial portfolios. He said yesterday that he changed his mind because Hide had important legislation to get through Parliament.

"He's at this point in a better position to ensure that than anyone else."

It was also best for the party as it sent a clear signal that ACT favoured "stable centre-right government."

But Brash could not name one of the pieces of legislation.

One possibility is that the deal was done as a quid pro quo for Hide retiring from Parliament at the election. Brash suggested yesterday that was always Hide's intention but Hide told Fairfax yesterday it was still an "open question".

- © Fairfax NZ News