Muller keeps coup bid talks within Nats’ caucus
Todd Muller said he was talking to other National MPs one-on-one as he arrived in the capital yesterday ahead of today’s coup attempt.
Muller wrote to MPs on Wednesday evening laying out why he thought he should take over the leadership of the National Party from Simon Bridges, arguing the party could not win with Bridges as leader.
Arriving in Wellington on the first flight from Auckland, Muller was tight-lipped.
Asked what his message for his caucus was, Muller said ‘‘that will be a message that I talk to them directly’’.
‘‘I’m very much focused on conversations with them individually and that’s what I’ll continue to do through till tomorrow.’’
Asked if Auckland Central MP Nikki Kaye was his running mate – which is widely acknowledged within the caucus – Muller demurred.
‘‘All conversations about leadership should stay within caucus and that’s where they will be,’’ he said.
‘‘We’ll see the outcome of our caucus deliberations tomorrow.’’
In his letter to his colleagues on Wednesday Muller said it was essential that National win the September election or the results would be catastrophic for ‘‘two generations’’.
The attempt comes after a devastating poll from Newshub/Reid Research put National at just 30.6 per cent, 26 points behind Labour and well out of contention for Government, with up to 16 MPs losing their jobs.
Speaking to Breakfast yesterday morning, deputy leader Paula Bennett said she was feeling confident, but would not talk about how many colleagues backed her and Bridges.
‘‘We’ve got an interesting 36 hours ahead of us. I wish we weren’t doing it because I think there’s more important things we could be doing.
‘‘But by Friday afternoon we’ll be back out there as a team.’’