Hide Blames Media

An angry former Act leader Rodney Hide is now blaming the media for his inability to get Act’s economic message across.

Speaking today on TV3’s “The Nation” Mr Hide denied the party under his leadership had lost sight of some of its economic goals because he pushed too hard in the law and order area.

“That’s a bullshit statement and the media keep repeating that,” he said.

“Economics is too hard for the media, and they don’t report it.

‘Here's what I'm proud of, we've actually kept our core philosophy, individual freedom, personal responsibility, free market, choice, competition, prosperous New Zealand.

“But here's what it involves.

“ It actually involves the government keeping us safe from the thugs and the bullies, and I don't resile from any of that.”

Mr Hide was reluctant to say whether he would resign at the coming election.

“What I said to Don is clearly he doesn’t support me to stay on, and I wouldn’t stand if I didn’t have the support of a leader,” he said

“But I don’t know.

“Honestly I won’t stand if I don’t have Don's support or the leader's support, but I just think it's a bit too soon to be making all those decisions.

However Mr Hide’s predecessor, Richard Prebble, thinks Mr Hide should stand down.

He told “The Nation” that if he was to give Rodney some advice it would that he should think seriously about retiring.

“It's not easy to work in a team when you’ve been the boss, and if you look back over New Zealand's history and look overseas, leaders tend to retire and Rodney's still a young man, and my advice to him is look you can do other things in your life Rodney, move on,” he said.

And Mr Prebble also had some advice for Mr Hide’s replacement, Don Brash.

“I've always been of the view that the ACT Party does better when it stays on the cross benches,” he said.

“I would say look support National on questions of confidence and supply, but life would be easier if you were on the cross bench.”

ends

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