"Dump Brunt"

In Febuary came the National Conference and an attack on Brunt's leadership from a different quarter. Some elements in the Party were not happy with Brunt's leadership. The phrase "dump Brunt" was bandied about. At the same time Wellington's Guy Salmon suggested something that Brunt found unsettling. Salmon had been a persistent thorn in Brunt's side over the preceeding months, upstaging Brunt at meetings with cases that were always well prepared. As one Values member put it: "Tony read only the fly-leaf, Guy had always read the book." Salmon's suggestion was that leadership should be scrapped. He intended putting forward this proposition at the National Conference. When the two discussed the matter Brunt always found Salmon outarguing him. Further more, Salmon had evidence of the inefficiency that leadership can bring if in the wrong hands. The message was clear: if Brunt did not agree, the fight would spill over into the Conference, and the argument would spill over from the abstract to the concrete — Brunt's failings would be bandied about.

Brunt agreed to the reform. The vacuum which the move created in the Party needed filling and while those who were thoroughly imbued with the Values ideology were happy with developments, supporters in outlying areas and the small branches were not. By way of compromise, Wellington — thought by Brunt to be the strongest in support for Values — was given power by the Conference to establish a National Secretariat. Brunt returned to Wellington holding the opinion that he had been out-foxed by Salmon. The "We need you Tony" chorus from those intent on playing electoral politics convinced him that Conference's decision was not in the Party's best interests. It became obvious that in the absence of a formally elected leaders, the top-dog in Wellington would be top-dog in the Party. Brunt remained, for the time being, acting regional co-ordinator. Control in Wellington became the essence of his holding strategy. Salmon became an important figure in Brunt's strategy since Brunt suspected Salmon of having an eye on the leadership for the next election. Those in the Party closest to Salmon emphatically deny that this is so.