A rift has opened between ACT leader Don Brash and his most important election candidate over the decriminalisation of marijuana.
Dr Brash on Sunday suggested marijuana should be decriminalised, saying it was a relatively harmless drug and prohibition was ineffective and expensive.
ACT has previously run a tough anti-drugs policy and his comments surprised other parties.
They also appear to have surprised John Banks, a former police minister in the National government, who is ACT's candidate in Epsom - currently held by former ACT leader Rodney Hide - and has to win it to ensure the party stays in Parliament.
"I've always been opposed to drugs and I always will be opposed to drugs," Mr Banks said on Radio New Zealand.
"It isn't party policy and I can't see myself walking into Parliament to support the Greens in decriminalising marijuana."
Mr Banks is expected to win Epsom because National will campaign only for the party vote in the electorate.
He is ACT's lifeline, because under MMP holding an electorate seat means a party doesn't have to reach the 5 percent threshold of the party vote to get seats for list MPs - and Dr Brash is first on its list.
ACT is polling well below 5 percent at present.
Earlier Monday Prime Minister John Key also disagreed with Dr Brash.
"There's no place for drugs in our society," he said.
"Ask parents if they want their children smoking a joint before going to school - we've got to stand up and say we don't want drugs."
The Green Party says Dr Brash is making a brave move by supporting the decriminalisation of cannabis.
Greens co-leader Metiria Turei says it shouldn't come as a shock.
"I think people are surprised they're turning it into their dominant election campaign," says Ms Turei, "but that's their decision to do that. The Greens have been consistent on this issue for many years now, because we believe… it's a health issue."
But United Future Leader Peter Dunne, who has admitted smoking cannabis as a student, says the ACT party has finally lost the plot.
"It's just desperation, which has got no sense of coherence to it," says Mr Dunne.
"Policies on the one hand that let you take the law of justice into your own hands, on the other, drugs for all, then your deputy walks away.
"I don't see any consistency in that."
Labour has also attacked Dr Brash's reasoning for shifting his views.
"This is a sort of bizarre statement from Dr Brash, based on some strange notion that he appears to be the only one on the planet who believes that smoking marijuana has no effect on anybody," says Clayton Cosgrove.
"Good god, look at our young people, and look at the mental health issues we have in our prisons."
Political commentator Bryce Edwards told RadioLIVE this morning the party's alienating its support base and appears to be in trouble.
"For the last 15 years, ACT have increasingly gone after the officially conservative voters," says Mr Edwards. "This might actually be quite a problem for the typical ACT voter, and especially in Epsom."
All five of ACT's sitting MPs are bowing out of politics at this year's election.
3 News / RadioLIVE / NZN