Tape won’t harm leader but worries ahead

TO National leader Simon Bridges goes the skirmish, but ahead of him lies a potential war — or political death by 1000 tapes.

Mr Bridges’ initial defence to serious allegations of electoral law wrongdoing by MP JamiLee Ross was bumbling and seemed evasive but he made up for it yesterday.

The rictus ‘‘everything is OK’’ grin was gone and it was a furious Mr Bridges who fronted up after Mr Ross released the tape of a phone conversation he had claimed would prove Mr Bridges asked him to engage in unlawful behaviour around an election donation.

That tape did nothing at all to prove that. As one onlooker observed, there is a great chasm between promising evidence of criminal corruption and delivering an unkind comment about a backbench MP.

Mr Bridges emerged to fire back, accusing Mr Ross of blackmail, defamation and being a ‘‘terrible person’’ and saying the tape had vindicated him rather than condemned him. His mission now is to totally destroy Mr Ross’ credibility.

This he needs to do, because as Mr Bridges said, he believed Mr Ross had been secretly taping him for months. Ahead of him lies the possibility Mr Ross will dripfeed recordings with potentially embarrassing conversations in them.

If that happens, Mr Bridges will be tied up for months defending and explaining comments he may have said in unguarded conversations. No leader can sustain such a distraction.

The contents of that tape did not completely clear the National

Party of any wrongdoing in handling that donation, but nor did it prove there was wrongdoing.

Nor did it implicate Mr Bridges at all in trying to dodge electoral rules or hide the identity of donors.

On the tape, there was nothing that indicated Mr Bridges gave a hoot whether the donors were disclosed or not.

His only concern was whether National Party president Peter Goodfellow would use the funding for party administration rather that letting Mr Bridges use it for things such as ‘‘attack ads’’ on Labour policies.

But although Mr Ross said the donation was ‘‘no strings attached’’, there was a rather alarming conversation about the donor’s apparent wish for National to get a second Chinese MP.

What could prove more damaging for Mr Bridges was being caught out discussing which of his MPs might be dispensable to allow new MPs to be brought in on the list.

There will be some sympathy in caucus and the wider public for Maureen Pugh, who has done nothing to deserve the humiliation of being decreed ‘‘f... useless’’ by her leader.

Mr Bridges recognised that and issued what seemed to be a very contrite apology.

It is probably safe to say Ms Pugh’s list placing at least is now safe for 2020. It is also probably safe to say a number of MPs are now discussing whether Mr Bridges is also f... useless.

Mr Bridges is most fortunate his list of dispensable MPs stopped where it did.

For his MPs will also see the tape for what it is: an extraordinary betrayal of trust.