Young Turks

As interesting as it was to see the manner of Simon Bridges’ removal from office, it is just as interesting to see how Todd Muller has constructed his shadow Cabinet.

It looks much as if yesterday’s people have bubbled back up again to the top of the foaming spa bath of an internecine party struggle, and I’m not convinced that they are capable of seeing off an incumbent prime minister at the election, not so long after she saw them all off at the last one.

Their difficulty in the task is made more so by the PM’s momentary success in dealing with the Covid-19 pandemic. It would have been nicer to have seen more youngsters nearer the top in Opposition and fewer of the old party hacks who, in other jurisdictions, would by now be in a second chamber removed from effective power.

Bridges might well be out of it now, but he did at least have the focus of a young blood and while it might be seen that he lacked a charisma of sorts, there must be other young capable Turks in the party waiting to be blooded in higher office.

John D Mahony, Christchurch

Sunday, May 24 – it’s been a couple of days since Muller stepped into his new job as leader of the National Party, and I’m browsing the general tone of social media. One of us appears to have badly misjudged the appeal of American Maga propaganda and personal religious baggage to mainstream New Zealand voters. So far it doesn’t appear to be me. Are we about to become another American lapdog? Or will Jacinda Ardern, shortly, govern without the distraction of minor parties?

D B Smith, Napier