National’s new leader is …

Written By: notices and features - Date published: - 173 comments
Categories: national, paula bennett, Simon Bridges

The new leader of the National Party has been announced. It is Simon Bridges with Paula Bennett remaining as deputy.

Best of British to them. The next poll will be interesting.

173 comments on “National’s new leader is …”

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  1. 1

    What a laughable combination – two upper North Island MPs – both of the same ethnicity. Where’s the balance? Bennett must be very lucky to survive. Perhaps nobody wanted the job! No chance against Jacinda – not a jot.

      1. 1.1.1

        Just because they are Maori David Mac doesn’t mean our people will vote for them in fact many of our people can’t stand the sight of either of them and their bullshit polices have been booting our people in the guts so why would we consider these two mongrels

        1. 1.1.1.1

          Yes, I think that’s more a political point of view rather than the ethnicity of the leaders. Their selection throws water on the ‘Another generation of European colonisers that know what’s best for us’ outlook.

          Will their selection see Iwi voting for National in their droves? Of course not.

        2. 1.1.1.2

          Well said Michelle 100%

          We down inn Tairawhiti hate the sight of both of them as they are low-life bottom feeding fish and nothing else.

          They don’t have any mana, dignity or grace but are just gutter snipes like the mobs are.

          They will destroy the ‘grand old national party’.

          Good on them both.

          “Simon No 10 bridges”

          1. 1.1.1.2.1

            Yeah, if only the scum sucking parasitic hateful pieces of shit could have just a slither of the grace, mana and dignity of you and I grey, the spokespeople for entire districts.

            The causeway for the new Taipa bridge is halfway across the estuary, when finished in 18 months the gang starts on the Kaeo bridge. The Matakohe bridge is underway.

            Gobbing phlegm in their faces is a crap strategy. Those that already support the left and would never support anyone else regardless shout “Hooray”. The hearts that need to be won walk away in disgust.

    2. 1.2

      It’s 2018: why do so many NZers not understand that few Maori have the mandate to speak for anyone, let alone ‘Maori’. Bill English couldn’t manage a mandate from his ‘ethnic group’ (god I sound like Ancestry Dot Con).

      PS: I’ve lived in Canterbury and this ignorance is particularly prevalent there.

      1. 3.1.1

        If the above interview relates to anadarko and prospecting, I thought bridges was a great advocate for the mining industry.

        Edit: oops snap Tracey.

    2. 3.2

      The fact of the matter is this is why Campbell had to go…

      Interesting that as Minister he thought his job was to provide positive PR for Anadarko.

  5. 5

    excellent, the domestos option.

    Give it a year then they’ll evaluate what to do if they think they’ve a shot in 2020. IMO if they don’t slimey bridges gets to do what blinglish has done twice now and lose an election.

      1. 6.1.1

        nailed it patricia. oil money will come oozing into the nats coffers. expect to see bridges attacking alternative energy.

  7. 7

    God he’s really pushing his Maori & “Westie”roots (and Paula’s) at the press conference. Who’s he trying to convince?

            1. 7.2.1.1.1.1

              LOL

              What is with this Westie crap again? She is a Taupo gal aint she? Pretended to be a westie til Sepoulini looked like taking her seat so ran off to the Remuera of the West.

              At least Bridges was from Te Atatu for all his schooling life

              1. 7.2.1.1.1.2.1

                Reminds me of this verse from Dylan’s I Shall Be Free:

                “Now, the man on the stand he wants my vote,
                He’s a-runnin’ for office on the ballot note.
                He’s out there preachin’ in front of the steeple,
                Tellin’ me he loves all kinds-a people.
                He’s eatin’ bagels
                He’s eatin’ pizza
                He’s eatin’ chitlins”

                Bennett will say whatever she thinks is required, she’s a disingenuous crawler with a nasty core that’s rotten as hell.

    3. 7.3

      @Kay (7) … The Bridges to Nowhere Man and the Benne might have been Westies during their younger days, however both now represent staunch conservative true blue electorates, Tauranga and Upper Harbour. Nothing Westie about them at all.

      Any true Westie worth their sort, would be very reluctant touch either of them with a barge pole!

      1. 7.3.1

        10000% mary-a.

        Westie’s are down to earth, and ‘what you see you get’

        Both of these Bridges and Bennett are as slimy as eels.

  8. 8

    The Nats have chosen well, Bridges and Bennett are an accurate representation of the current state of the National party.

  9. 9

    Great result that will at least guarantee another Coalition Government in the 2020 Election.

    A Maori Leader and Deputy Maori Leader of the National Party.

      3. 10.2.3

        Mitchell used Lusk and Slater to “win” selection for the Nats so guess whose protege he must be… the more things change the more they stay the same.

        Nat strategists have obviously decided the new lie is they care about the environment and Maori.

  11. 11

    Great result that will at least guarantee another Coalition Government in the 2020 Election.

    A Maori Leader and Deputy Maori Leader of the National Party.

    They could swing the Maori seats in the next Election ?

    National heavily focused on West Auckland and Maori.

    1. 11.1

      Doubt that Tamati Tautuhi, people already know what they are like and wont be swinging anything, particularly the Maori seats.

  13. 13

    Interesting how keen the new Nat leadership is to show they are Māori and environment friendly – a little shift in the Overton window.

    1. 13.1

      Looks to be a poorly made veneer, you know like a brand new one which peels off in less than a year. In Bridges speech today he basically said it was still all the Greens fault for not working with the Nats, and that kind of arrogance seemed to permeate through his whole speech.

      When questioned about the significance of the new leaderships Māori identity he said Māori would be delighted – really?? and that National would appeal to Māori because there are lots of successful Māori businesses out there. In other words National is hot shit and it’s not them who needs to change.

      1. 13.1.1

        I have yet to read anywhere what policy concessions the Nats wanted to make to lure the Greens over?

        This is same bullshit different suit.

  15. 15

    Not much of a surprise here…. a bunch of arseholes elect a arsehole to lead them.

    …first John Key bring a whole new level dishonesty into NZ politics, then English actually doubles down (right out in the open) on a straight out lie after being caught out during the last election, and then leaves the country in a huge fucking mess, all this without even the slightest hint of embarrassment…now they have the logical extension of their ever diminishing low bar..a tobacco lobbyist as their leader…no the real surprise here is that so many citizens actually vote for these despicable scumbags.

    1. 15.1

      “no the real surprise here is that so many citizens actually vote for these despicable scumbags.”

      +1 Adrian Thornton. Very hard to understand why that is.

  16. 16

    I just realised is that this is now the picture in respect of the leaders and deputy leaders of the current political parties in Parliament.

    [Please note this is in no way intended racist etc. And ‘Maori’ is used merely to indicate that they have some Maori heritage.]

    Labour
    Jacinda Ardern Leader and PM – Pakeha
    Kelvin Davis Deputy Leader – Maori

    National
    Simon Bridges Leader – Maori
    Paula Bennett Deputy Leader – Maori

    NZF *
    Winston Peters Leader – Maori
    Fletcher Tabuteau Deputy Leader – Maori

    Greens
    James Shaw Co – Leader – Pakeha
    ? Co-Leader ?

    ACT
    David Seymour – Leader – Maori

    We have come a long way.

    So, while National now has a Maori Leader and Deputy, the Coalition Government has even more, which will also increase if Marama Davidson becomes the female Co-Leader.

    * I only realised the other day that six of the nine NZF MPs are of Maori descent as I did not know that Tracey Martin and Jenny Marcroft were.

    Full list (with iwi) of Maori MPs across all Parties as at 24 Sept 2017:

    http://www.maoritelevision.com/news/politics/who-are-our-maori-members-parliament-now

    2. 16.2

      We have come a long way in terms of ethnicity and gender in our political classes…yet somehow the political spectrum itself seems narrower than ever.

      1. 16.2.1

        I’ve always felt that Bridges’ and Bennett’s ‘Maori’ has been strutted when it suited. Like today. Otherwise who would guess ? Just a perception.

  17. 17

    A caucus choice for generational change. More promotions as the old guard (Joyce Collins Adams Coleman) is put out to pasture in this or the next portfolio allocation.

    And should Bridges lose in 2020, while there may be no Cabinet post the position of leader is once again up for another vote.

    This is the downside of the caucus choice system – all systems have them and this is the one they have.

    The experienced old hands pose of a government in waiting is gone. So gone. This is their belated concession of defeat.

    1. 17.1

      Generational change? So this new Nat generation, voted against marriage equality, opposes abortion liberalisation, pro big business, including big oil?!

      Welcome to the new generation! Same as the old generation, but with a more fashionable suit, and more hair!

  18. 18

    The funny thing is that journalists could cut him up in pretty much every interview.

    However, journalist are so gutless in this country – so expect him to get a lot of free passes.

    1. 18.1

      National would be screwed if they ever had the tough questions pitched at them.

      Blinglish had his pants pulled down by Beatson on Stratos in 09, Shonky got schooled on BBC’s hard talk and they were never ever seen being asked the tough questions again.

      If they did it was meet with a wall of diversion, diffusion and BS and passed off as a response.

    1. 20.1

      Fawning 😆

      If the Nats go for any of the others, I would say then the next election is already lost. They others are all Labour Lite

      Tanz, 20.2.2018.

    3. 20.3

      It’s an awesome result, all right. A liar like Key but without the ability to cover his arse. He’ll be very well liked, I’m sure. And with Bennett next to him, well, fuck, that’s just unbeatable.

    4. 20.4

      Tanz (20) … I really don’t think Labour has anything to worry about with Bridges and Bennett leading Natz. As for being in government soon … no I don’t think so.

      Bridges will be yelling and shouting hot air across the house in his usual aggressive style, pointing fingers in the air, achieving sfa. While Bennett will be as lazy as ever in her continuing role of deputy. If you think about it, she was nowhere to be seen during Natz election campaign and she certainly didn’t seem to do too much work as English’s second in command! So another cushy number for Bennett yet again!

      The government coalition will look like superstars compared to these two drop kicks leading the opposition.

            1. 20.4.1.1.1.1

              Ahh – that is all the hint I needed! Thanks. Have the links bookmarked so will refresh memory from these and check whether any update.

            1. 20.4.1.2.1.1

              Tracey .. do injunctions expire, especially when one no longer has the full Police Dept at beck and call ? ( Yes, I know what my comment implies and do not resile from it !) I have popcorn ….

                1. 20.4.1.2.1.1.1.1

                  Interesting, thx for that. A while back I communicated with him via a family contact but he was being surrounded by insurmountable walls and obstacles as the full force, literally, was being brought to bear against him and his closest ones. A dark and rum story.

  22. 22

    “More promotions as the old guard (Joyce Collins Adams Coleman) is put out to pasture”

    I doubt very much that he will demote those who he just defeated. That is a recipe for a coup in 5 minutes. In politics you keep your enemies as close as possible. Just look at what Helen did to Cullen after his failed leadership bid.

      1. 23.1.1

        Anne 🙂 Yes I did notice the sly looks too, I’m amazed they have retained her. Still laughing lololololllll 🙂 🙂 🙂

  24. 24

    Firstly they were all horrible but secondly a good punt by National, he is a ‘John Key’ type and if he doesn’t rate as well, someone else can always overthrow him later.

    Jacinda would win if Labour stuck to their election promises of a gentle u turn from neoliberalism, it is hard to find signing the TPP is that. The biggest winners form the deal are the banks and the big corporations – yet again. Losers the public, yet again.

    As for all the ethnicity comments, yawn too many attached to gender politics which time and time again backfires, cos voters don’t vote for that and many are just as likely to stab their own people in the back (Paula and others across the political spectrum) or be so naive they help sink a parties voter base thinking voters are gonna lap up the message. (Greens).

    Also enabling bad policy and decisions by supporting them is just a nail in the parties coffin. Are Labour and NZ First looking that different in the eyes of the public by crony appointments and giving away provincial investment trusts money to corporates via the proven (sarcasm) ‘trickle down’ method.

    https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/101740848/billiondollar-provincial-investment-panels-ties-to-oil-and-gas-sparks-concern

    The trust should not help corporates at all. The government should invest and own the investments or take a stake in the company if they give money.

    Voters seem to go for a combination of policy and party + leader they trust the most, or because that’s slim pickings in NZ, the party they hate the least. If none fall into that they don’t vote at all.

    Sometimes you wonder, do politician’s learn anything at all. And those who blame the media – they are not the ones putting the bullet into their own party.

    1. 25.1

      Bill didnt fit the Key formula so they knifed him and rolled out John Key 2.0

      Bridges will now undertake even more media training behind the scenes.

      The Attack of the Clones.

      1. 25.1.1

        Tracey,
        My thoughts entirely so these are just corporate clones setup as yes man/woman types to screw us all so Labour need to get there TV channel going to shown this all happening on their watch.

        Question; How are these two supposed Maori leaders going to console their brethren when they sign of the TPP11 that will sell their birthright, water land and futures??????

        That will stumble these turncoats.

        1. 25.1.1.1

          The cynic in me says that bridges knew if he talked up his maori heritage he wouldn’t have been picked as leader but to speak of it afterwards is strategic cynicism…

  26. 26

    He is a lawyer too, that can’t hurt. Great CV outside of Parliament, and best of all, won his seat, easily, back in the day, from Winston. So a male/female team, which is a good contrast to Stardust and co. Winston looked unhappy today in the House. Worried?

    1. 26.1

      A male/ female team is not a contrast to the govt which has a female/male team.

      He did well to win the safe National seat back for National who had held it for so long. The Right usually get grumpy at having lawyers in parliament preferring pseudo real world people like the faux farmer from Dipton.

    2. 26.2

      . Collins is the obvious choice, and National can’t afford to get it wrong, if they want to win next time. A copycat Ardern who isn’t, just won’t work.

      Tanz, 20.2.2018.

      2. 26.3.2

        Winston looked very happy, Bridges didn’t though after Jacinda dealt to him. He looked defeated already.

        Tanz needs to accept: Jacinda is in charge!! Dog God isn’t.

        1. 26.3.2.1

          Do the politicians have levels where they can tweak the settings of their mics?

          I’d say that would be a good idea, Jacinda has done abit of DJ’ing, she’d be one to help with that sort of thing, adding abit of a musical element to the back & forth of ‘point scoring’ wouldn’t be totally out of place.

          Bridge’s line of questioning indicates a have cake and eat it too type approach that obviously slots in well, tunnel vision and all that.

    4. 26.4

      @ Tanz (26) … Winston worried about the circus and two leader clowns opposite him in Parliament? Nah I don’t think so. I think he might have been trying to be polite, struggling not to laugh out loud at the hideous side show across the floor.

      1. 26.4.1

        He mostly looked grumpy though. After all, Bridges won the Tauranga seat from him, as National won back their Northland seat. Is Labour gonna gift him a seat??

        1. 26.4.1.1

          Why would they? They can form a government with the Greens on current polling.

          Nice to see Bennett beat Collins for deputy. Must suck to be Collins. Can’t realise her ambitions, still required to represent Oravida in Parliament, respected less than Paula Bennett by her “colleagues”.

        3. 26.4.1.3

          Nah, Tanz, that’s not grumpy; it’s a face chiselled by wisdom, deep contemplation, experience, responsibility, and an acute sense of duty. A face that neither Paula nor Simon will ever have. Key didn’t have it either; Bill did because his conscience was eating him inside.

        4. 26.4.1.4

          He has been in politics since the eighties, do you really think he is worried about Simon? Seriously? Winston did amazing to hang on to Tauranga as he did all those years, given he was an ex National rebel. He leads the NZ First party, he is Deputy Leader, he is now grooming his successor. He would laugh if he read this.

    5. 26.5

      Winston looked unhappy today in the House. Worried?

      Shows how totally deluded you are. You even imagine what you want to see even though you didn’t actually see it.

      I watched a bit of question time and the only shots I saw of Winston Peters, he was broadly smiling. He seemed extra happy.

  28. 28

    Still pretty weird after going through 9 fucking years of shit with Labour’s multiple selection processes, doing the same thing, and getting worse results every time.

    Damn National’s eyes but it was smoother than my Uncle Vic’s Angus stud artificial insemination.

    3. 28.3

      The process was quiet and smooth, but it’s effectively the same as Labours nine years of fail. Helen failed to groom anyone, and apparently so did Key – oh well, nine years of Labour it is I guess.

  29. 29

    I expected Bridges to win as Leader. I didn’t expect them to keep Paula on as Deputy though, that’s hilarious. Bridges is absolutely cementing my impression that he’d double-down on English’s failures, and insisting on removing Bennett might well have pacified his opposition within the party, and given a real impression of renewal, despite his own boring same-as-usual approach. Next election is gonna be funny if those two are still around by that time, even if we should take it seriously. I bet they keep Joyce on in Finance as well, even though he’s a complete muppet who can’t add.

  31. 31

    Is there any truth to the rumour that the Gnats now have a new party song to go with the anticipated poll response?

  32. 32

    It gets better…

    Bridges won the ballot on a second round of votes, meaning he did not go into caucus with the support of a majority of his caucus. There were also two rounds of voting for the deputy leadership before Paula Bennett emerged the winner over Judith Collins.

    I expect the member for Oravida will take that with her customary humility and grace. LOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOL

    2. 32.2

      “……..the member for Oravida will take that……”…….on another day.

      Revenge. Best served cold, as said someone.

      Meanwhile, her malevolence is doing push-ups.

      I readily acknowledge Judith’s ‘unusualness’.

      And Soimin’s perfect “ackshully”.

      1. 32.2.1

        “her malevolence is doing push-ups.”

        Now’s the time to pile on. The member for Oravida is still number sixteen on the list. Got to be some backstabbing ambitious Mitchell followers who value their salaries 😈

    3. 32.3

      Doesn’t matter; 44.4% is a majority and gives you moral authority according to Tanz.

      The King is dead, long live the King!

    1. 33.1

      If they change it will need to be at least a year before the next election… so 18 months works.

      I still think people need to stop underestimting John Key V2.0 . It is the same machine andcstrategy that gave us the prototype

  36. 36

    Watch Amy Adams try to raise her profile.

    She got a telling off from the Speaker today for doing a lot of loud sledging of the government.

  38. 38

    lol

    “Same as before, but more shouty. That’ll get us back on track for the election!” – said no politician ever

  39. 39

    Now Bridges is going to be talking a lot more then can i suggest a spit guard and help with the lisp.

    The press gallery and his unsuspecting audience will thank him for it.

    1. 39.1

      Somewhere and a while back, I seem to recall reading he had a serious speech
      impediment as a child and maybe even had surgery, but certainly long term therapy for worse than a lisp ? Just saying … be rotten to be attacking him for what might be the very best he can do after awful circumstances.

      Now, where were we … back to the place holders ….

  40. 40

    Congratulations to Bridges. Look forward to seeing what you have got to say over the next 3 years or so, even if it is the same shrink the state, cut red tape, more business in government, less government in business crap.

    We now have the youngest line up of Parliamentary leaders ever,

    Jacinda Ardern – born in 1980 (the year I was born!)
    Simon Bridges – born in 1976
    David Seymour – born in 1983
    James Shaw – born in 1973

    The only odd one out is Winston Peters, born in 1945.

    It would be interesting to see how close the vote was, and who got how many, but I am guessing that gets taken to the grave of whoever counts the votes.

  42. 42

    Bridges anthem mock of “Sing to my ten Guitars”

    Credit -sung by both Engelbert and Tom Jones 1967 Parrot Records

    Beneath the stars my ten bridges are,

    there for all the world to see.

    But if your’e with the one you love this is what you’ll hear.

    Ohooo; – Dance dance dance two my ten bridges there, laalaalaa

    You get the message.

    Everything in Bridges head is a dream of what he thought he would do; – but failed to!!!

    So he will be a liability to National; – ha ha ha,

  43. 43

    I do hope that Bridges can get his back story right.

    He claimed in 2013 that he was from Tauranga. But of course he grew up in Te Atatu, went to Rutherford College and then on to Auckland University before being employed in an Auckland law firm. Why he’d say he grew up in Tauranga is anyone’s guess. Maybe he thinks that John Key was an accomplished liar and look where that got him – PM for nearly nine years.

    “As a boy from Tauranga, I’ve always wanted my name up in lights in the big city.”

    http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/news/politics/8928444/Pants-on-fire-attack-on-minister

  44. 44

    It’s great that National has made another socially-conservative religion enthusiast its leader. Voter appetite for religious conservatism in NZ is minimal, and Bridges will do a much worse job of hiding it from voters than Bill English did.

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