16 June 2003

Hon Matt Robson MP, Deputy Leader, Progressives

McCully: Don't leave home without him

My advice to Bill English is: don't leave home without McCully, said Progressive MP Matt Robson today.

"I know I shouldn't be doing this. I shouldn't offer my advice based on 25 years in politics to my competitor in the political arena. But it is the humanitarian in me that compels me to speak out," Matt Robson said.

Robson, who is deputy leader of the Progressive Party and who has been involved in politics since the 1980s, said it is well known that the National Party's leadership coups traditionally occur when three events coincide: The Leader is out of town, Mr Murray McCully is in town, and the party's support is half of Labour's.

"My sources tell me that Bill English shouldn't let Murray out of his sights at the moment. And he most certainly shouldn't be going to America unless it is for a job interview, because he might return only to find he has to line up outside Dr Brash's house on a daily basis to be assigned a new job," Matt Robson added.

It was reported today that Mr English plans to go to the United States unaccompanied by Mr McCully at a time when Richard Prebble's vision of a Grand Coalition of the Right is falling apart due to irreconcilable policy squabbles between National, New Zealand First and ACT over immigration, population, regional development, foreign and domestic justice policies.

ENDS

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