ACT FALLING APART AT THE SEAMS?

And gone by Christmas Lunch?

Well that the theory proffered by commentator Matthew Hooton in this weeks paper edition of NBR...

Hooton is of the belief that Act will have its key policies done and dusted by Xmas and then it will make a stand and distance itself from government on the basis he will have points on the board and those who feel that the National Agenda is a bit too centre right. And its fair to say that there will be at least 5% of the population in that camp.

Mr Hide no doubt feels an obligation to see through his important Regulatory Responsibility Bill and the Auckland supercity reforms but, after that, his best strategy is to strongly differentiate himself from National – if necessary by leading his party out of government before Christmas.

By then, if he feels he needs them, he will still have achievements about which to boast – but he’ll also be able to lead the opposition to National’s timidity, its half-hearted tax reforms, its failure to embrace the private sector in infrastructure, its loony Emissions Trading Scheme and its unprincipled so-called “elegant” solution to the foreshore and seabed.

It’s a strategy that surely has 5% written all over it, if not more.

We think that he is right but the internal bullshit that has the Act party falling apart at the seams is likely to cause a much earlier split than that.

Sad really but the quicker the rest of the Act MP's realise that for better or worse that the party IS Rodney Hide - the better.

But our money is on them falling apart about October....