Progressive Party Wishes Don Brash Well ? Keep It Up Mate!

Progressive Party leader, Jim Anderton, says he is wishing Don Brash well in his steady campaign to take over the leadership of the National Party.

"Don Brash is right.

"It is time National showed to everyone its true colours. There is no point messing about with the fuzzy message of Bill English when your philosophy and values have over the past five years become identical to those of Richard Prebble and ACT," Jim Anderton said.

Jim Anderton was commenting on New Zealand Herald and Dominion Post reports today chronicling the latest developments in the long push by the majority faction in National to effectively merge into ACT.

"What is clear is that an overwhelming majority of New Zealanders hold values in tune with the centre-left coalition government elected in 1999.

"A majority faction in National dropped Jim Bolger as their leader because they wanted their party to adopt all of the values and policies of the ACT Party and this process has, since 1998, now largely been put in place.

"Don Brash is the natural leader of the extremist majority in the National caucus and it is important National's caucus appoint him their leader as soon as possible before the next election.

"NZ First and United Future, in their turn, must explain well before the next election how they can say they are open to supporting a National-ACT government.

"NZ First and United need to explain why anyone should trust them when what that means is they are open to the extremist policies of the ACT Party which are utterly rejected by most people," Jim Anderton said.

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