: ▁New ▁Zealand ▁First ▁showed ▁rel uct ance ▁to ▁reve al ▁whether ▁it ▁would ▁support ▁National ▁or ▁Labour ▁post - e lection , ▁whilst ▁A CT ▁( o ften ▁seen ▁as ▁National ' s ▁natural ▁coal ition ▁partner ▁due ▁to ▁the ▁similar ities ▁in ▁some ▁of ▁their ▁policies ) ▁critic ised ▁National ▁for ▁not ▁open ly ▁supporting ▁A CT ▁leader ▁Rod ney ▁H ide ' s ▁bid ▁to ▁win ▁the ▁elect or ate ▁seat ▁of ▁E ps om . ▁ ▁Pam ph lets ▁distributed ▁by ▁members ▁of ▁a ▁Christian ▁sect , ▁the ▁Ex clus ive ▁Bre th ren , ▁in ▁early ▁September ▁caused ▁further ▁embar rass ment ▁for ▁Br ash ; ▁although ▁they ▁were ▁not ▁anonymous , ▁they ▁did ▁not ▁refer ▁to ▁the ▁Ex clus ive ▁Bre th ren ▁but ▁were ▁author ised ▁in ▁the ▁names ▁of ▁individual ▁church ▁members . ▁ ▁Br ash ▁initially ▁denied ▁National ▁had ▁anything ▁to ▁do ▁with ▁it , ▁but ▁later ▁admitted ▁that ▁the ▁Bre th ren ▁had ▁told ▁him ▁at ▁a ▁meeting ▁some ▁months ▁earlier ▁that ▁they ▁planned ▁to ▁run ▁a ▁campaign ▁oppos ing ▁the ▁direction ▁of ▁the ▁Labour ▁Government . ▁Br ash ▁has ▁maintained ▁his ▁position ▁that ▁the ▁pam ph let - camp aign ▁took ▁place ▁on ▁the ▁Ex clus ive ▁Bre th ren ' s ▁own ▁initi ative . ▁ ▁The ▁General ▁E lection ▁on ▁ 1 7 ▁September ▁produced ▁a ▁close ▁result , ▁with ▁initial ▁election - night ▁figures ▁from ▁rural ▁areas ▁favour ing ▁National ▁( in ▁accord ance ▁with ▁tradition ▁and ▁previous ▁patterns