Outgoing National Party leader Bill English is staying mum on who he wants to take up the mantle as party leader.
“I’ll just have a vote, like everyone else in the process and I expect I might enjoy them coming to ask me for it, after years of having to go ask other people for their votes,” English chuckled, to a chorus of laughter from National MPs behind him on Tuesday morning.
Over the coming weeks, the news cycle will be dominated by National MPs vying for the Opposition’s top job.
Much will be going on behind closed doors – unlike Labour, National MPs choose their leader and there can be no doubt that the lobbying has already begun.
So, who are the front-runners?
Simon Bridges:
The Tauranga MP has been tipped by many to replace English. The former Crown Prosecutor held top portfolios in the previous National Led Government, including Labour, Economic Development, Transport, all while serving as Leader of the House.
In opposition he wasted little time familiarising himself with his new role, Shadow Leader of the House, embarrassing the Government over its lack of preparation when electing Speaker Trevor Mallard, forcing it to fork over more select committee seats to National.
He is a capable speaker in the House and his knowledge of the inner workings of government make him a formidable senior opposition member – and potentially leader.
Judith Collins:
Judith ‘Crusher’ Collins is one of National’s old guard, and one of its most experienced MPs. Entering Parliament in 2002, she served in Opposition for seven years before being part of the Government. ‘Crusher’ – the unofficial nickname given to her after her bill allowing boy racers' cars to be crushed – has a reputation for being tough and unrelenting.
These aspects would play well in opposition, where it’s critical for the leader to keep the Government under pressure and to make sure her caucus does not step out of line.
Amy Adams:
Adams is able to boast of one of the bluest seats in New Zealand. She has held Selwyn since 2008 and each election since has won it by a considerable margin. She was also seen as one of the most capable ministers in the previous National Government, presiding over the social investment portfolio as it underwent significant changes.
On the Opposition benches, she has taken the lead on one of National’s biggest campaigns against the Government around its new employment laws and is expected to keep up the pressure as the year continues to unfold.
Nikki Kaye:
Kaye has done something her party was not able to do last election – beat Jacinda Ardern.
In 2008, she won the Auckland Central seat for National for the first time in its history. She then retained it in 2011 and 2014, beating the now Prime Minister both times.
Much of her focus during her time in Parliament has been on education. She started by chairing the Education and Science Select Committee in 2011 then, two years later, was made Associate Minister of Education and was promoted to Education Minister in 2017.
Now National’s education spokeswoman, she has become a critical member of National’s front bench.
Steven Joyce:
The former Finance Minister was not talking about a potential run at the top job on Tuesday afternoon, telling reporters who asked about his ambitions that it was “Bill’s day.”
But speculation has been mounting that Joyce might want the job for himself. Joyce is English’s right-hand man – the numbers man for the numbers man. He has a deep understanding of the Party; he has chaired National' campaign committee for years and was National’s first general manager in the early 2000s.
69 Comments
I agree. Her swansong, going out snarling and swinging.
Funnily enough, Julie Ann Genter suggested her for leader. Seems like a number on the left actually are keen on her because of her ethical issues and reputation. But if she's just in there to do the specific attack dog job and be replaced prior to the election, that's a different matter.
Question will be whether she's willing to only own that time, or whether her ambition will be to stick around.
As for the dreadful “Judith Collins” contraption – she could well hold on to the already converted, but in terms of bringing in new supporters, not so sure.
Can’t see many Labour or Green voters swapping their respective hats for her, maybe some NZ Firsters could.
After their last MMP debacle the focus will surely be 50%+ - so not a job here for the “Judith Collins”.
Probably not the best but she just reminds me of a loud, banging, clunky machine of poor design and function.
Every time “Judith Collins” comes up I literally read “Massey Ferguson”.
Terrible I know – it’s simply a disservice to Massey Ferguson, whose products are at least by design, quite elegant and perfectly functional.
The Ferguson and subsequent Massey Ferguson was actually designed by Ford and first appeared as such.
Ferguson supplied the then revolutionary 3 point hydraulic link mounting to the Ford - initially selling as a Ford Ferguson. Great little tractors and still going strong hauling boat trailers everywhere.
This little sub-forum is just so endearing – it really has made my evening.
The knowledge, the passion – you’ve made a motor sport enthusiast very happy.
And yes, perhaps a connection but more likely not – I’ll drop into the “more likely not” camp I think.
Again, wonderful little bits and bobs of knowledge – thank you.
Interesting isn't it? We really do elect the leader as much as the party.
Crusher and Joyce are both Bruisers, not lovable but effective. Polarising personalities seem to do well in politics, at least some of the time (yes, I do mean Winston and, of course that other chap who looks a bit like an overgrown ferret), so who knows? They would be people who got things done, whether we liked it or not. They might need a rabble looking for a voice though, hard to see that as yet.
Amy and Nikki both seem competent and much more likeable, but are they aggressive enough? Bridges must have talents but they are hidden to me.
Only a new face, (with some signature polices) will set up the optics that the National Party have gone away and taken stock of the last election result and is now prepared to bever away for a few years and renew.
Eventually they will. But the Ardern effect has only just got started. Now she's rock solid. Peters is solidly by her side. This is his last play of the book.
In fact, it may be better that National go quite for a while, but they can't.
They've fallen straight into the bullshit that lost them the election. That is, prioritising political machinations and personal power plays, whilst just not bothering with doing the job they were elected and paid to do, which is governing for the benefit of New Zealanders. They're so wrapped up with party politicking and power games that they've forgotten all about the citizens again.
We will have a fill in until Nicola Willis takes over close to the next election, it will be the National version of the Jacida effect the Nicola effect ! If you don't know her here she is....
http://www.newshub.co.nz/home/politics/2018/02/lloyd-burr-national-s-ne…
The simple fact is that none of National are suitable to be Prime Minister and as they all contributed their talents to achieve very little over their 9 years of deniability and prevarication over many, many issues including creating affordable and sensible Housing...a real rort. of monumental proportions...is the only polite way I can describe it.
Which for all their overpaid stipends, created little merit for New Zealand sadly. ..but lined their own pockets admirably.
Plus a few on this site., who are so likewise.............proud.
The simple fact is also that none of the Labour Party are suitable to be Prime Minister either.
They don’t have the necessary life skills or business acumen to run a country unless someone can state otherwise and why?
If so why do we need all these working groups and advisors etc?
True, she has her weaknesses alright. That Crushing Cars thing was shear brilliance though. Wonderfully effective if disgracefully authoritarian. Just the sort of leader The People choose when they are pissed off with an ineffective government and want someone who will Get Things Done. We may disapprove but that is how democracy works. Authoritarian leaders do seem to be the in thing around the world at the moment; US, Russia, Turkey, China, Saudi, India, the list goes on.
Wonderfully effective? I seem to recall it being all noise no teeth. Haven't there only been a handful of cars crushed, and the the first one was a joke, the boyracer got his car back, stripped all the good bits out of it then handed over the bare rusty shell to be crushed, and was back on the road a week or two later with a new car with all the good bits back in it.
I see the fact that very few cars were crushed as a wonderful thing. It means the judiciary have been able to temper the authoritarian and excessive penalty succesfully, and only use it when appropriate. I felt that the boy racer problem was a lot less after the first car got crushed, so it was a success. It certainly caught everyone's attention.
My main point was that, although Collins isn't the most likeable, she might be a good choice. You get Bossy Woman who Gets Things Done versus Caring Woman who doesn't. So you shift the goal posts to Getting Results rather than Saying The Right Things. It is politics, not marriage, we are talking about here.
Jacinda is not interested in being a prime Minister with her family starting.
She was thrown into the job as no one else was capable of leading or really wanting it but the rest is history nowmI suppose.
Floundering is probably a good word for what is going on as nothing constructive or beneficial for,the country has occurred unless someone can advise us otherwise
"Jacinda is not interested in being a prime Minister with her family starting.
She was thrown into the job as no one else was capable of leading or really wanting it but the rest is history nowmI suppose"
Oh really? You've been speaking to Jacinda about her personal and career ambitions lately? Or is this just more unsubstantiated drivel from you?
That is rubbish IMHO (not interested in the job) she stepped up and kept at it.
Well she may have stepped up but if you had not noticed she won an election, so she made a sound decision.
Given Nine years of National's in-action has cemented in the problems pretty solidly its hardly surprising its taking time to work out what can be done within the limitations of what the voer wants, ie no more taxes and no severe shakeups or losses.
My tribute to Bill.
https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=10156329423088338&id=596888…
May he be replaced by Nick Smith
The problem is that most of these contenders are tainted by being at the helm for 9 years and doing nothing constructive to improve the standard of living for the average NZer.
They are part of the team that advocated mass immigration and high house prices to artificially make NZers feel wealthier. They just played into Winston's hand.
I say National needs a fresh team at the top with new ideas if they want to topple Ardern at the next election.
Perhaps they should select a young female who is or wants to get pregnant in time for the next election. Gullible people would love 2 leaders with babies next time LOL!
This would keep Winston out.
I can see me not bothering to vote in the next election, seriously there is no inspiration from anyone across the whole political spectrum that makes you go WOW that person would be really great for New Zealand. The fact that there is no clear stand out obvious person to pick from National says it all, you get to pick the best of the worst.
Vote for a disrupter. Somebody like TOP, even if you don't necessarily agree with what they stand for. Getting a few new faces/parties in the govt to shake things up can't hurt. Not voting just encourages more of the same behaviour since the existing parties don't face the risk of losing seats if you don't vote.
Carlos - when you say WOW that person would be really great for New Zealand - do you have a vision for what 'great' would be? Or if someone like Trump rolled up and promised to make New Zealand 'great' again you be like fantastic - I'll vote for you because you'll make things 'great' again, without any concept of what great actually is?
Were National 'great' because they focused on improving GDP via immigration and not producitivy resulting in high house prices, degraded public services, clogged roads etc? Is this great? Or because home owners saw increasing house prices they thought - wow this National party is great....
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