Bridges under fire

If four of your colleagues had been charged by the Serious Fraud Office, as captain of the ship, Simon Bridges, you as leader have to own vicarious responsibility. Setting aside guilt and outcome, this might be the very time National realises they have a very vulnerable leader who cannot escape defacto responsibility. National can wait until the court case in February or deal with this cancerous leadership now. Simon might have the real guts to pass on the leadership now or wait until he is defeated for moral leadership ineptitude.

Simon, it happened on your watch. If you did not know, you are not leading your party, if you did know and pretended not to know, you are not the leader New Zealand needs. If you want to sacrifice your party’s chance of being in government because ‘‘you see no ships,’’ then sadly your leadership will be as dead as Nelson. Do the honorable thing Simon. Alas perhaps that is not in you. Leadership of the National Party please for us all, change the leadership now. This man can smile all he likes. Labour, Winston and the Greens must be thanking their lucky stars. National there is no PR that will save this man. Simon says, go now before you destroy what is a great party. You must have known this was coming Simon and still you did not do what was best for National. I hope your conference elects new leadership, Judith

Collins and Mark Mitchell could take you to government. Then again you may prefer to follow Simon into oblivion.

Ian Hanley, Hamilton