Jami-Lee Ross has released the tape of his talking with Simon Bridges where the suggestion was made that two Chinese MPs would be more valuable than two Indian MPs. And Melanie Reid has published an article containing the allegations of four women against Ross of inappropriate behaviour.
Paula Bennett has broken the understanding that MPs do not refer to each other’s private lives. And Jami-Lee Ross has alleged that a $100,000 donation was split so that it did not have to be declared and it has been confirmed that National then nominated the donor for a Queen’s Birthday Honour.
Jamie-Lee Ross will seek to win a by-election as an independent. Says that Simon Bridges is corrupt and unlikeable and that he could prove it. Refutes Simon Bridges claim against him of harassment of women. Said the by-election would be a referendum on Bridges’ leadership. Updated: Simon Bridges responds – what he doesn’t say is more interesting
Jami-Lee Ross is to resign from Parliament amid further claims about unlawful activity from Tory leader Simon Bridges. Ross says he will stand in the Botany by-election. Ross also says he will lay a complaint against Bridges with the Police.
All eyes will be on National’s caucus meeting today. And Simon Bridges will need to explain what Jami-Lee Ross meant when he said that he had recorded a conversation where he was asked by Bridges to break the law.
Jami-Lee Ross has gone public and announced that he will be blamed for the leaking of Simon Bridges’ travel information and said that he will continue to speak publicly about the issue.
Duncan Garner has this morning revealed further leaked information from within National concerning Simon Bridges’ disastrous polling and indicating that he received a donation from a company with links to the Exclusive Brethren.
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After spending over a hundred thousand dollars on the inquiry into who leaked his travel information Simon Bridges now claims that he is no longer worried about who leaked his travel expense information.
Trevor Mallard has shut down one possible conclusion of National’s leak inquiry by conducting his own inquiry into his office which has concluded that the leak of Bridges’ travel information did not come from there.
Newshub has been leaked a copy of an email from Paula Bennett sent to National Party staffers advising that the inquiry into who leaked Simon Bridges’s travel expense information now includes them.
National’s leak problem is developing into a full blown crisis as it struggles to deal with the repercussions of Jami-Lee Ross standing down.
Jami-Lee Ross has announced he will be taking time out for personal health reasons.
While the local right have spent the last week nit picking at Jacinda Ardern something significant has happened internationally. Jacinda Ardern has emerged as the western leader who is the antithesis of Donald Trump.
National has another potential copyright problem involving the use of music without permission.
Politik has reported that Derek Handley has been receiving PR advice from Michelle Boag.
Jacinda Ardern is storming New York. In an interview has set out her beliefs on leadership and rebelled against the idea that politics should only be about scoring hits against opponents. National has replied by trying to score political hits against her.
Jacinda Ardern has announced that New Zealand will not sign up to Donald Trump’s global call to action on drugs. Will Simon Bridges do the responsible thing and agree with her that the announcement is a misplaced attempt to continue the currently failing approach to drugs?
The most dumbarse thing I have seen Simon Bridges quoted on was in an article about climate change issues saying that Jacinda Ardern should promote for more international tourism. After vast increases in visitors, we’re close to our current tourism capacity and we want to burn more carbon to get more tourists? WTF?
In one interview Simon Bridges shows that he cannot do basic maths in his head and does not know a core feature of a law change he wants to support.
Winston Peters said in Parliament this week that he believes he knows who the leaker of Simon Bridges’ travel information is.
Three months ago National apoligised for getting dud advice and evicting hundreds of state house tenants where miniscule amounts of methamphetamine were discovered. This week National backed off from that very proper apology.
Two prominent men chose to celebrate Suffrage day yesterday, one by having himself photographed in front of female members of his caucus and the other by complaining that at different times different groups of men also did not have the vote.
Simon Bridges has caused jaws to drop everywhere by comparing Jacinda Ardern to Donald Trump.
It is Maori Language week. And National has come out with the unusual situation of requiring primary and intermediate schools to teach a compulsory second language. But the language may not necessarily be te Reo Māori. And Simon Bridges opposes it being taught compulsorily.
Elements of the media are criticising Jacinda Ardern for juggling her personal responsibilities with her working life, something that most of us do every day.
Simon Bridges has announced the formation of a working group to prepare a policy discussion document.
Simon Bridges has justified his claim that the three strikes law is working by releasing an Italian study that has not been peer reviewed on the effects on white collar criminals of a pardon system.
Simon Bridges has been trying to create a narrative about increasing petrol prices being the fault of the current government. But he has been tweeting an incorrect price and his claims about responsibility have been contradicted by BP.
Guest post from Darien Fenton questioning National’s obsession with Government working groups.
Simon Bridges has now been leader of the Opposition for six months. What has he to show for his time? People are questioning his judgment over his fixation on who leaked his travel information early.
National intends to continue with its investigation into who the leaker of Simon Bridges’s travel expense information was
A review of events over the past two weeks about the strange case of the leaked travel expense information, the expensive inquiry and the depressed MP.
Radio New Zealand has stated that a National MP has confessed via anonymous texts to be the leaker of Simon Bridges’ travel expenses. And the information was provided by way of a leak.
Judith Collins has been caught tweeting more fake news. And repeating it just in case we missed it.
Jacinda Ardern has announced a freeze of MP’s salaries while a review of the salary setting system is carried out.
Tracy Watkins and Tova O’Brien have both written articles criticising Simon Bridges’ handling of Limogate.
