John Banks to Step Down as ACT Leader, MP for Epsom

John Banks to Step Down as ACT Leader, MP for Epsom

4 December

Scoop Audio+Video+Photos

By Hamish Cardwell

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John Banks will step down as ACT Party Leader, and will not contest the Epsom electorate in the 2014 general election.

At a press conference in Wellington today Mr Banks said he would stay on as representative for Epsom until the election, and will remain leader until the party's AGM in March next year.

The Act Party leader has been under fire since he was taken to court and privately prosecuted for failing to properly disclose political donations from German Millionare Kim Dotcom and Skycity during his 2010 Auckland mayoral race.

On Tuesday a judge ordered that Mr Banks should stand trial for electoral fraud. Mr Banks had sought a review of the initial court decision that he had a case to answer.

He stood down as a minister in October.

Mr Banks said he was looking forward to his day in court, and that anyone who knew him knew he was not guilty of the charges against him.

ACT president John Boscawen said the ACT party remained a credible party, and stood an chance of taking the seat of Epsom in 2014 with or without National Party help. He said Rodney Hide had previously won the seat in spite of a National Party mail out to voters telling them to vote for the National candidate.

Full video and audio of the conference below.

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