9 October 2001
Leadership Coup Poor Timing

“While the change of leadership within the National Party was inevitable, the timing of the coup is most inappropriate given the gravity of international events,” Party Leader Graham Capill said today.

“The Labour/Alliance government has lost its resolve to continue to play the peace/neutrality card due to pressure from respected overseas countries. The Prime Minister has been forced to talk about the deployment of the ‘elite SAS’ and offering help to the United States, when clearly such gestures are too little too late. National would have been better concentrating on attacking the government’s poor performance on these issues at this time.

“Yesterday was the day when defence personnel were handed their letters of redundancy. The Prime Minister might not have seen the irony of the situation, but most thinking people could. Any right-thinking leader would have revisited the decision to abandon the Air Force at a time like this. The National Party has allowed itself to be distracted by internal power struggles, rather than being focused on the real issues facing our country.

“The lack of mention of New Zealand by either President Bush or Prime Minister Blair in their speeches yesterday, underscores how isolated New Zealand is internationally. It can only be hoped that the new leader of the National Party becomes more effective in opposing the destruction the current government is causing and calls it to account,” Mr Capill concluded.

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