Collins joins contest to succeed John Key
The battle to be prime minister is on, with Judith Collins, Bill English and Jonathan Coleman declaring they’re in the race.
Deputy Prime Minister Bill English was endorsed by John Key on Monday when he announced he would be stepping down as prime minister, but Health Minister Jonathan Coleman signalled on the way to caucus that he wanted the job, and this is now confirmed.
Collins confirmed that she would be joining the leadership race after English and Coleman declared their hands.
Coleman is selling himself as the ‘‘change’’ candidate, telling media the party needed ‘‘generational change’’.
‘‘It’s a job I’ve been thinking about for a long long time. I’m absolutely up for the challenge. I believe I’ve got the energy, I’ve got the relative youth on my side, and I’m absolutely focused on winning this leadership contest,’’ he said.
‘‘I’ve done some soundings and there’s some significant appetite there for rejuvenation and renewal.’’
As for Collins, she said National ‘‘needs the best person at the helm, and I believe I’m that person’’.
‘‘I’m very focused on the fact that I would not be putting my name forward if I didn’t believe I thought I had a very good chance of leading us into a victory in 2017.’’
English has been leader before, and took National to a drubbing at the polls in 2002, but said yesterday he was ‘‘older and wiser’’ and had fewer distractions.
Coleman had ’’competently’’ handled the health portfolio - ‘‘the biggest and hardest public agency in government’’ and had always been ‘‘ambitious’’, English said.
While English doesn’t have a deputy in mind at the moment, he said Justice Minister Amy Adams was ‘‘definitely someone I could work very, very well with’’.
Adams has ruled out running as leader but did not dismiss a tilt at the deputy leadership.
MPS can throw their name in the hat at any point up until the vote is taken on Monday.
Collins said she could ’’work with anyone’’ and thought there was ‘‘quite a lot of support’’ for her to get the job.
Coleman said he had not yet made a decision as to his preferred deputy.
‘‘I can work with a range of people, and this is very early on in the process and let’s just see how it unfolds.’’
Transport Minister Simon Bridges has ruled out a bid for the leadership but is keeping his options open on the deputy leadership.
Economic Development Minister Steven Joyce wouldn’t say who he was backing for the job ahead of the decision next week. ’’I’m just going through the process with the rest of the caucus.’’
Among the National MPS to have publicly backed English are Nathan Guy, Michael Woodhouse, Louise Upston, Nikki Kaye and Hekia Parata.
Upston said it would be ‘‘great’’ for either the prime minister or their deputy to be a female, but National had ‘‘a huge range of talent to choose from’’.
- Fairfax NZ