Politics
The Exclusives and the Nationals
SMH
THE leader of New Zealand’s main opposition party, the Nationals, resigned yesterday on the eve of the expected release of a book that claims to reveal more links between his party and the secretive religious sect the Exclusive Brethren. Don Brash phoned members of his front bench to tell them he was stepping down, before publicly announcing that continuing speculation about his future gave him no choice but to resign. He said the decision was made some weeks ago but he had held off, partly because of a controversy over emails that he believes were stolen from his computer. The emails are at the centre of a legal battle after it emerged that an author, Nicky Hager, was about to publish a book claiming deception and illegality by the Nationals in last year’s election campaign. Among other things, Hager says the book will reveal deeper links than previously known between the Nationals and the Exclusive Brethren. Dr Brash yesterday denied that his resignation was the result of anything in the book, which remains the subject of a gagging order in New Zealand.
Also, Scoop:
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And on Tasmanian Times:
The divisive Brethren