3 April 2002
It was the Prime Minister who said if the party hopping bill" is too weak, people will just laugh at it", well its
proven so weak Jim Anderton has just driven a bus through it with 6 of the Alliance members on board, says National
Party Leader Bill English.
"If the situation was not so serious it would be farcical.
"What we have is a leader who will not leave his party now, but will not stand by them either, will spend the next few
months putting together another party that will in fact stand against the party he is currently leader of and try and
defeat it.
"This is politics at its worst with Jim Anderton purely acting in his own self interest and the Prime Minister is no
better if she does not come out and condemn his action.
"We should not forget all those quotes from Helen Clark on the subject of party hoppers. These include, To MP's, the
message is simple. You will stay with the party whose voters who put you in Parliament - or you will get out. Another
was." Of course it is a draconian Bill, but it's dealing with people whose behaviour is despicable.
" Well that is one point I do agree with, Jim Andertons action today is despicable and the National party will not be
letting him get away with it. We will make sure he does not use taxpayer money to fund his new money.
"This is a mess. It makes a mockery of Parliament. Part of the original Coalition agreement between Labour and Alliance
states that one of their objectives is to restore public confidence in the political integrity of Parliament and the
electoral process.
"How can the public have any faith when we have the Deputy Prime Minister thumbing his nose at his Governments own
legislation and the Prime Minister right behind him. The cracks that were starting to show in this Coalition have just
become a chasm and we are looking forward to the first casualty from the left,"says Bill English
Ends