Media Statement
For immediate release
Thursday, 16 October, 2003

Dunne: ACT holds guns to Nats' head

ACT is clearly "holding a political gun to National's head" with its announcement last night that it is standing a candidate in a second seat that National has stood aside in at previous elections, United Future leader Peter Dunne said today.

"This is a very clear challenge to National - and one I'm sure Bill English doesn't want to face," Mr Dunne said after Stephen Franks was announced today as ACT's candidate in Wellington Central for the next election.

"As if Bill doesn't have enough to worry about right now," he said.

Mr Franks' candidature comes on the heels of news of Heather Roy standing in Mr Dunne's electorate, Ohariu-Belmont - "I haven't slept a full night since" - and is clearly aimed at pressuring National to again stand aside in those seats.

"So let me articulate the challenge in case it has been missed in National's senior ranks - would Bill English kindly tell voters now if they are going to have National candidates in those seats, or is United Future going to have to hold all centrist hopes against ACT's far-right fanaticism?

"And how's this for a prediction? We'll soon have Rodney Hide unleashed on the poor people of Epsom. And Gerry Brownlee perhaps has very good reason to see Ruth Richardson in every shadow in Ilam."

Ends.

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