Mike Hosking: This is a lame hit job on Simon Bridges

Is Simon Bridges supposed to walk around the country meeting the public?

COMMENT: What a hit job last night on TV3 on Simon Bridges.

Here's what they ran. The National leader's expenses have been leaked. All expenses are coming out eventually, these have been leaked, you've got to ask where they were leaked from and why they were leaked.

Travel and accommodation for three months for Bridges: $113,000 - $83,000 was spent travelling up and down the country in a Crown limo.

It equates, said Newshub – listen to this, this is the kind of crap you get these days in political journalism - to $919 a day, more than people earning the minimum wage take home in the week

So what? Lots of things happen every day that cost more than people earning the minimum wage take home in a week. The two aren't connected.

You can argue whether or not it was effective, but as a new person in the job, what is Simon Bridges supposed to do?

You're supposed to get out and meet people. How do you get out and meet people? You want him to walk? You want him to ring people? You want him to get a party line installed and 20 people get him on the phone

What do you want him to do to communicate with people, to hear what's going on in the country, and understand all of this - and presumably before the next election and put out a bit of policy.

What else is he supposed to do but get in a car?

If he hired a private jet, you might have an argument - but he got in a car and drove around the country.

What else is he supposed to do?