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'Crazy silly talk': Bridges dismisses rumour of new leadership bid

Author
Newstalk ZB,
Publish Date
Thu, 8 Apr 2021, 5:45PM
Christopher Luxon and Simon Bridges are taking the party's leadership contest down to the wire. (Photo / Claire Trevett)

'Crazy silly talk': Bridges dismisses rumour of new leadership bid

Author
Newstalk ZB,
Publish Date
Thu, 8 Apr 2021, 5:45PM

National MP Simon Bridges insists that he is not planning another tilt at the party's leadership - despite rumours of a new leadership bid. 

NZ Herald reporter Claire Trevett reports that the party is considering a Bridges-Christopher Luxon leadership bid that is still in it's infancy to replace Judith Collins and Dr Shane Reti. 

"Some in National believe the troubles since Bridges was rolled have shown the former leader's strengths in the job and suggest that he could make a comeback, especially as the PM's Covid honeymoon wanes," she wrote.

However, speaking to The Country's Jamie Mackay, Bridges insists he is fine in his current job and doesn't miss being leader - a position he held from early 2018 to mid 2020. 

"I've gone from 100 hours a week to half of that. I enjoy being an electorate MP, I enjoy giving it to [Speaker Trevor] Mallard in the House, so life is good." 

He says the reports are in the "rumour and the nonsense" realm rather than reality. 

"I think things are slowly turning against the Government. I wouldn't get too worked up by speculation and columns and all of these sorts of thing. We've got a serious job to do, and that's to hold a Government that has a lot of problems to account." 

Despite push from Mackay, Bridges says that the suggestions are "crazy silly talk" and Collins remains their leader.

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