Can Bridges survive his MP’s explosion?
Simon Bridges is still standing. But the series of sucker punches from his former numbers man Jami-Lee Ross may have dealt his leadership a killer blow.
National is reeling, its wounds laid bare, and Bridges lacks the political capital with voters that might have allowed him to rise above it.
National’s legendary discipline has also been rocked, effectively neutralising its trump card against Labour.
Rarely has Parliament seen such a spectacular act of selfdestruction from an MP – the bombshells kept coming as Ross accused Bridges of corruption, revealed a secret tape recording he intended taking to police, talked about his own mental breakdown, and accused Bridges of attempting to heavy him out of Parliament with trumped up allegations of harassment.
It was an explosive and extraordinary press conference from Ross, the allegations given weight by the fact that he was once close to Bridges, and a senior member of his front bench.
When Bridges emerged after a caucus meeting to announce that Ross would be expelled from the party, it was almost irrelevant.
Ross had already resigned and announced he was forcing a by-election in his Botany seat, well aware he had sealed his fate, his political career in shreds. His life’s mission now seems to be to take Bridges down.
Bridges vehemently denies the allegations and his MPs have united behind him in a show of force. Ross has burnt off all his supporters and the level of fury and visceral dislike for him among former colleagues is real.
Everything will likely hinge on the secret recording that Ross says he made of Bridges. His corruption allegations centre on a $100,000 donation from a Chinese businessman which he says Bridges asked him to hide.
Ross says he parcelled up the donation into smaller amounts so they would fall under the electoral commission threshold for anonymous donations.
But there is an alternative version of events that emerged last night – that Ross was acting under his own steam, with the intention of framing Bridges.
There are also different versions of the events surrounding harassment allegations, which Ross says were put to him by Bridges and his deputy Paula Bennett.
Stuff has been told that those allegations included one of inappropriate behaviour by a married MP but that the other claims were not of such a serious nature that there would be a formal complaint.
National is now in the danger zone. Ross may be a lone wolf but there are suggestions he has been getting external advice.
If more dirt gets flung, that will be the slow kiss of death to Bridges’ leadership.
Regardless of whether the allegations against him turn out to be nonsense, it will be an ongoing distraction that will, ultimately, weaken the face of unity that has been National’s secret weapon in the polls for so long. And as Labour can testify, that can be the real killer blow.