Bridges backs Smith to stay on
National Party leader Simon Bridges is hoping Nelson MP Nick Smith will bring his ‘‘heft and experience’’ to the next election.
The opposition leader is on a nationwide roadshow to ‘‘connect with communities’’, stopping by Greymouth and Hokitika on Wednesday before dropping in to Richmond’s Headingly Centre yesterday morning.
About 250 people, the majority of whom were older voters, attended morning tea and question time with Bridges.
Speaking after the meeting, he said despite a changing of the guard within the party – Jonathan Coleman’s departure prompting a byelection for Northcote – he hoped Smith would stick around.
‘‘The reason I say that is because in any caucus you need a blend,’’ he said.
‘‘Yeah we want new talent coming through, but you want the heft and experience that Nick brings ... He’s got a lot of life to give. Ultimately he’s made a huge contribution here and can continue to do so. As I say, I hope he doesn’t go.’’
Bridges said Smith was leading the charge on the National Party’s work on electoral law issues and policy development.
He did not reveal any succession plans if Smith decided to leave Parliament.
During the meeting, Bridges answered questions on housing, education, and the Resource Management Act.
An audience member raised concerns about younger relatives’ struggles to get into housing in Wellington.
‘‘If you’re in a stable relationship... you don’t need to have a high income, you get yourself into that Homestart Kiwisaver, they’ll get there,’’ Bridges said.
Bridges said he would be giving a speech on climate change at Fieldays in Hamilton and while many in the audience might think climate change was ‘‘bunkum’’, he took it seriously.
He told the crowd the National Party wanted to remain a strong opposition party, but would give credit where credit was due.
But he criticised the number of working groups the coalition had established, and was critical of Winston Peters’ decision to sue the Ministry of Social Development for an alleged privacy breach over details of his superannuation being leaked.
After the meeting Bridges said despite his comments about Peters’ unpredictability, it would probably be business as usual while he was acting prime minister when Jacinda Ardern went on maternity leave.