Posted on 04/26/2004 8:35:19 PM PDT by shaggy eel
UPDATED REPORT
Richard Prebble has resigned as leader of the ACT Party, he announced today.
He told a press conference that it was the best thing for the party, which has been struggling in the polls.
His resignation comes just an hour after Act MPs collectively said there was no threat to his leadership.
Just yesterday Prebble dismissed speculation he was about to resign, saying the leadership issue was not being discussed at today's caucus meeting.
"No one has raised it with me in the last four weeks," he said.
Despite his confidence there had been rumours of his demise for many weeks.
ACT has been languishing in the polls for some months, and in Sunday's latest One News/Colmar Brunton poll rated at 2 per cent. With no electorate MP, ACT needs to attract 5 per cent support in an election for its 8 MPs to retain their seats in Parliament.
ACT won nine seats in 2002 election, taking 7.14 per cent of the party vote.
There was no immediate word on who would replace him.
Finance spokesman Rodney Hide has long touted himself as leadership material.
Former Labour cabinet minister Ken Shirley, deputy leader of the party, is less of a populist than Mr Hide, but is seen as more in line with its core principles.
"I strongly believe this Government is better for having ACT there," Mr Prebble said.
Mr Prebble, the only leader ACT has had in Parliament, appeared calm and dignified and under control as he stood aside.
One of his staff was weeping openly.
Mr Prebble called the press conference at short notice while a party caucus was held this morning.
Mr Prebble took the Wellington Central seat for ACT at the 1996 election and has led ACT since then.
He was a senior member of the Lange/Douglas Labour administration and was well known for his support of free market economics.
He left Labour following the left wing of the party regaining control after the fall of finance minister Roger Douglas.
One of the strongest performers in Parliament, Mr Prebble has had questions hanging over his leadership since the last election.
During that campaign he fell ill with pneumonia and since then some have questioned how long Mr Prebble would continue in the leader's role.
ACT Party founder Sir Roger Douglas said that Mr Prebble "did a fantastic job for the party, and I hope that his contribution hasn't ended".
Sir Roger hoped that Mr Prebble would stay with the party after the 2005 election.
"It would be fantastic if he did, because he has a big part to play in a centre right Government."
Sir Roger said there was never a right time to change the leader.
"It's always a matter of judgment in these things, and Richard has obviously thought carefully about it and decided this is the time for him to move on."
Sir Roger would not say whether he had a preference for the new leader.
Sir Roger said ACT now had to determine a strategy to get 7 to 15 Per cent of the party vote at the 2005 election.
It won 7.14 per cent of the vote in 2002.
National grabbed ACT voters when Dr Brash targeted preferential treatment for Maori in his Orewa speech earlier this year.
"What policies do they put in place to differentiate them from the other political parties, and make it important enough for New Zealanders to vote for them, rather than anyone else?" asked Sir Roger.
A spokesman for National Leader Don Brash said that Mr Prebble's resignation was an internal party matter and had no further comment at this stage.
,,, while the NATIONAL Party was involved in it's own disintegration, Richard Prebble and his ACT Party were effectively Helen Clark's opposition. He performed that role very well. NATIONAL has risen from the ashes and taken ACT's direction and some of their policies. Under an MMP electoral environment the ACT Party and the NATIONAL Party would be able to form a government without much trouble at all.
From what I understand about your politics this would be good. Sorta like a merger of Libertarians and Rebublicans. Is this correct?
,,, until early this year, in effect, yes.
,,, Richard is a veteran. He knows how to play the game and he knows how Klark plays it. Nothing lasts forever and he has sensed that the time to step down is now. This far out from an election and with Labour juggling a range of disasters, he's responsibly gauged the situation and made the big exit statement. All is not lost. He will remain as an influential guiding hand who will still hit some major home runs.
Part of the dynamic beneath the surface with voters is an ongoing perception that he was Minister of Railways in the Labour government in the mid 1980s when he "hocked the family silver" - he privatised State owned assets such as TELECOM, Air New Zealand and TraNZrail, for what many thought to be firesale prices. This process wiped an amount of debt for the government of the day but outraged a good number of voters. What I liked about it was the government were saying "we have no place in running railroads and airlines etc."
With Richard Prebble's exit from the furthest right wing spotlight, it will disarm the naysayers who align his name to the baggage of the reform days.
Above all, I posted this article as a tribute to Prebble, a man who has carried the torch for the right wing in New Zealand with great conviction and confidence. Under his leadership people like Rodney Hide and Muriel Newman have emerged as competent, focused possibilities for his replacement.
,,, exactly. ACT is a cross between Republican and Libertarian - it's the Party I vote for. National equates to the most right wing of the US Democrats or the more moderate Republicans - that's a rough estimate and variation would occur on a number of issues.
,,, I spoke with Rodney a couple of months ago after a speech he delivered at a bar in a north Wellington suburb. He's a sharp guy. I left a full vodka on a table and had to move around to the side of the room as the crowd grew in numbers. During his speech he took a step back and looked backwards at the vodka... "is this for me?", he asked.
Could you imagine me saying "no" to Saint Rodney?
28/04/2004 09:35 AM - Source: NewstalkZB (radio network)
ACT MP Rodney Hide is adamant he has played no part in Richard Prebble's resignation as party leader.
[Fotopress]
The party's MPs are lining up for a hotly contested battle for the top job after an emotional Mr Prebble broke the news to reporters yesterday.
Mr Hide has always made it clear he wants the party's top job and will be one of several MPs putting their names forward but he claims Mr Prebble was not pushed into stepping down. He says ACT owes its very existence to the former leader and he hopes Mr Prebble will remain in Parliament. Another MP interested in the job is Stephen Franks, who is cutting short a North American trip following Mr Prebble's decision. Mr Franks has been at the International Parliamentary Union conference in Mexico and has also been talking with police officers, criminologists and city hall officials in the US.
Mr Franks is disappointed about Mr Prebble's decision, saying the next parliament needs his intellect, commitment and firepower.
He says Mr Prebble has always had courage in raising unpopular issues.
Deputy leader Ken Shirley has also confirmed he will stand for the position while Muriel Newman is also considered a possibility.
ACT has had a poor showing in recent polls, scoring 1.6 percent in the latest One News-Colmar Brunton survey.
The party will use an American primary system for electing its new leader. It involves canvassing all party members to see who they want to take them into the next election. The process is expected to take around a month to complete.
Meantime, National Party leader Don Brash describes Richard Prebble as having made an extremely significant contribution to politics.
Dr Brash says if his party needs a coalition partner, it will look to ACT but he will not be drawn on who he believes would be the best replacement for Mr Prebble.
I don't know anything about Rodney Hide other that what I have read above but he certainly looks like he'd be a colorful replacement.
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