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New Zealand opposition head quits New Zealand opposition head quits
(about 1 hour later)
New Zealand's main opposition party leader has resigned after weeks of speculation over his leadership.New Zealand's main opposition party leader has resigned after weeks of speculation over his leadership.
Don Brash led the centre-right National Party for three years and came close to beating Prime Minister Helen Clark's Labour Party in last year's election.Don Brash led the centre-right National Party for three years and came close to beating Prime Minister Helen Clark's Labour Party in last year's election.
But the 66-year-old former banker has been dogged by a series of gaffes that raised doubts about his judgement.But the 66-year-old former banker has been dogged by a series of gaffes that raised doubts about his judgement.
He denied his resignation was related to a forthcoming book which is expected to include damaging claims against him.He denied his resignation was related to a forthcoming book which is expected to include damaging claims against him.
"It has become increasingly clear in recent months that there's a growing expectation that I'll step down well ahead of the next election," Mr Brash told reporters."It has become increasingly clear in recent months that there's a growing expectation that I'll step down well ahead of the next election," Mr Brash told reporters.
"That ongoing speculation is damaging to the National Party, and to our future prospects. I've decided to resign as leader with effect from ... early next week.""That ongoing speculation is damaging to the National Party, and to our future prospects. I've decided to resign as leader with effect from ... early next week."
The party's finance spokesman, John Key, is expected to replace him.
'Simply nonsense'
Mr Brash ended a lengthy career as a central bank governor in April 2002 to pursue a career in politics.
A year later, despite his political inexperience, he took over the leadership of the National Party, which had suffered a drubbing in the 2002 elections.
A rousing speech on race relations and policies offering less government and lower taxes appealed to voters, and Don Brash brought the party within a whisker of winning the general election last year.
But his tenure was also marked by a series of high-profile gaffes, which led people to question his political judgement.
He once said he went easy on Helen Clark in a televised debate because she was a woman.
His comments to a visiting US delegation, that a National government would get rid of New Zealand's anti-nuclear law "by lunchtime", triggered controversy.
Following the election, he denied then later admitted connections with the secretive Christian sect the Exclusive Brethren.
Most recently, he sought an interim injunction to prevent the publication of emails he said were stolen from his personal computer.
This stopped the publication of a book, billed as an expose of the National Party's inner workings, which made it look as if Mr Brash had something to hide.
In his resignation speech, Mr Brash insisted he had no knowledge of the book when he sought an injunction over the emails, and said he did not want to stop its publication.
But he refuted the book's claims, saying it was "simply nonsense" to suggest the National Party had broken election spending rules and was influenced by the Exclusive Brethren and US neo-conservative groups.