NATS’ HORROR WEEK: HOW MULLER HOPES TO BOUNCE BACK
Todd Muller keen to reset the agenda but questions linger
The National Opposition is trying to recover from a traumatic week of leaks, confessions and resignations, which presented a massive distraction from its election campaign focus.
Leader Todd Muller is planning to give a major speech in Auckland on Tuesday in a bid to reset the agenda.
However, he faces residual questions over his public denials last week that health spokesman Michael Woodhouse had received patient information from Michelle Boag, when Woodhouse had already privately told him he had.
Clutha-Southland MP Hamish Walker was forced to step down at the election after outing himself as the person who forwarded Covid-19 patient information to media, which he had received from former party stalwart Boag.
Woodhouse had received the same information relating to a different time frame, which he deleted soon after an official inquiry had been announced by the Government.
Amy Adams, No 3 in National and its Covid spokeswoman, was at the media standup where a journalist repeatedly got the brush-off from Muller over suggestions that Woodhouse might have received patient data.
But she believes the two were talking past each other.
“It was very clear to me from Todd’s answers that he was answering in respect of whether Michael had had any involvement in or received the information that Hamish had leaked, and he was answering very clearly on that, no.
“Although I could see there could be a talking past each other with the journalist and Todd around that.”
Muller has since said he was not lying but he could have been clearer in his answers.
In the end the disappointing thing about the week is that Todd had a speech about our intention how we will lay out an economic plan over the coming weeks and that got lost.
Gerry Brownlee, National campaign chairman
Adams did not believe the events of last week had dented National’s credibility.
“There is no way of getting away from the fact it has been a bit untidy.
“I don’t think it dents our credibility to be holding the Government to account because from the average New Zealander’s perspective I think they are far more worried about the likelihood of losing their job and the issues around border protection.”
National campaign chair Gerry Brownlee said allegations that the past week was “dirty politics” was “basically pointing to a squirrel running up a tree”.
“It’s not our style. As soon as it was clear what had happened, Hamish was persuaded that he had no future, and Michael Woodhouse was off to [privacy leak investigator] Michael Heron to explain his position,” Brownlee said yesterday.
“In the end the disappointing thing about the week is that Todd had a speech about our intention how we will lay out an economic plan over the coming weeks and that got lost.
“But the fundamentals behind that message are not changing,” said Brownlee.
How long before the public started listening would depend on how fast the party got back on track.
Muller’s speech in Auckland would outline more of the economic plan in relation to the northern part of the country.
“The slogan ‘jobs, jobs, jobs’ is interesting but it doesn’t actually tell you what, where or how.
“It’s all very well to announce massive amounts of spending . . . and that will mean some debt but it is how you handle it and what you spend it on that’s going to be the most important thing.”
Muller does not believe the events of the past week will damage any trust the public has in National.
“Far from it,” he said in Christchurch.
“We are a party with strong values, strong integrity, known for actually delivering against promises. We had an issue that occurred here. We dealt with it and it is resolved.”
Woodhouse declined to comment, saying he was having some downtime this weekend.
The party issued no statement after a fourth person absconded from managed isolation in New Zealand.
Labour’s campaign chair Megan Woods did not want to comment directly on National’s bad week or the misleading press conference.
“It’s absolutely the Opposition’s job to hold us to account on our management of the border but New Zealanders rightly expect political leaders to do the right thing with sensitive information,” she said.
“We need a bit of a deep breath here.
“This pandemic is growing not slowing around the world and all our energies need to be focused on keeping New Zealanders safe.
“There’s no playbook for dealing with a major pandemic like this and we need all hands on deck.”