Banks beats Isaac to ACT leadership
Party's sole MP gets unanimous nod.
UPDATE: John Banks has been named ACT's new leader.
Mr Banks beat the widely tipped favourite - Catherine Isaac, widow of the late Roger Kerr - to the role.
ACT president Chris Simmons said the board's decision had been unanimous.
Mr Banks told media he never wanted to be leader, but it was a logical move given he is the only ACT member of parliament.
ACT will hold a press conference early this afternoon to announce the new party leader.
The party was taken over by Don Brash in April, who forced out former leader Rodney Hide.
The poor performance of ACT at the election, garnering 1.07% of the vote and entering parliament with only one MP after John Banks won Epsom, led Mr Brash to announce he would relinquish the leadership.
Catherine Isaac, the widow of the late Roger Kerr, is widely tipped to replace Mr Brash as party leader - although Mr Banks has mused publicly about a merger with Colin Craig's Conservative Party.
NBR staff
Thu, 16 Feb 2012
Thu, 16 Feb 2012
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