The Post

Bridges brushes off questions

- Glenn McConnell

Auckland Chamber of Commerce chief executive and former National Party leader Simon Bridges is staying coy on his prospects of leading a merged public media broadcaste­r.

Last week, sources with knowledge of the recruitmen­t process revealed he was being considered as board chairperso­n for the new entity, Aotearoa New Zealand Public Media (ANZPM). But Bridges avoided talking about the potential new role when approached for comment yesterday.

‘‘I don’t comment on unsourced rumour and speculatio­n. I gotta go guys, good to see you,’’ he said with a wry smile as he walked away from reporters at an Auckland Chamber of Commerce event.

Cabinet is set to decide this year about whom to appoint to the board. Its appointmen­ts would be made before Parliament passes the law to merge state broadcaste­rs Radio New Zealand and TVNZ, to form ANZPM next year.

The Government planned to have the law passed by March, to start the merger, and the new organisati­on is expected to be up and running in July.

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern was also not keen to comment on Bridges’ prospects this week. She had ‘‘nothing to add or to announce’’ about ANZPM directorsh­ips. ‘‘This is highly speculativ­e and I have nothing further to say on this,’’ she said.

After declining to comment last week, Stuff asked Bridges about his interest in joining the ANZPM board yesterday – but he dodged the question, saying he had another appointmen­t.

He joked that he was ‘‘already in the media business’’, when asked if he was considerin­g taking a position leading the merged public media entity.

‘‘’I’m already in the media business. I have a wonderful podcast,’’ he said.

Since leaving politics earlier this year, Bridges has taken a role at Stuff as a podcast presenter as well as Auckland Chamber of Commerce chief executive.

Last week, Ministry of Culture and Heritage deputy chief executive Emily Fabling confirmed it had been searching for candidates to fill the board for the proposed state mega-broadcaste­r.

She said its shortlist had been delivered to Broadcasti­ng Minister Willie Jackson, who would still take the options to Cabinet this year.

The TVNZ board hired former National government minister Simon Power as chief executive last year.

 ?? ?? Simon Bridges
Simon Bridges

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