Sir John Key and Simon Bridges catching up at the National Party annual conference in Christchurch today. Photo / Derek Cheng
Sir John Key and Simon Bridges catching up at the National Party annual conference in Christchurch today. Photo / Derek Cheng
Former Prime Minister Sir John Key says Simon Bridges should not get disheartened with his low rating as preferred Prime Minister.
And he suggests National might want to rule out working with Winston Peters and New Zealand First in 2020, though he adds that is ultimately a decision for Bridges.
Key was one of the special guests at the party's annual conference in Christchurch today, and commended the party's new slogan: "Our bottom line is you."
"People are interested in what a change of government might mean specifically for them," Key told the Herald outside the conference.
"Ultimately, all politics is local. I don't think people get up in the morning and think, 'GDP is up half a per cent'. That doesn't excite them.
"They get up and think, 'Do I have a job that's paying better? Can I afford to fill up the car? Can I take the family on holiday?'"
Earlier today, Bridges rejected suggestions the new slogan was aimed at taking attention away from him, given his low personal polling.
Key said Bridges was doing "really well" and should not get disheartened by having about 5 to 6 per cent support in the preferred Prime Minister stakes in recent polls.
"We used to do a lot of polling on leadership, and even though my numbers at that stage were very good, I was also somewhat disheartened by the fact that they [voters] don't focus on that that much.
"They tend to look at the big issues that matter, law and order, health and education. The economy is National's key competency."
Key said National was well placed to win next year's election, but the great unknown was which parties it could work with to command a majority in the House.
"To be blunt, it's probably got a pretty good idea of who it can't work with.
"It's not for me to say, and ultimately every leader has to make their own call. But I think Winston Peters' colours were pretty clearly identified a long time ago, certainly on display in 2017 when he made a smaller party the Government."
Bridges has said that he will make an announcement next year about whether he would be open to working with New Zealand First, but he was also confident other options would emerge closer to the 2020 election.
"I'm not saying I have a clear sense that will happen. But with the right candidates and the right people, it might happen," Bridges told the Herald earlier this week.
"And there's still a Māori Party that has a couple of per cent on any kind of week. I think there will be options."
Key agreed.
"I wouldn't rule out other new parties emerging. One of the things 2017 demonstrated is that it's literally a race to 61 seats. Winston Peters proved that just because you're the biggest, most popular party doesn't mean you'll have the right to form a government.
"It's blindingly obvious to everyone that we have to find coalition partners or build up the partners that are there. That's one of the big challenges that we've got. MMP is not a system designed to see a single party govern on its own."
Sir John Key and Rocketlab boss Peter Beck at the National Party annual conference in Christchurch today. Photo / Derek Cheng
Key, who is chair of ANZ and has been in the media answering questions about the bank's troubles, said he didn't think the public spotlight on him was damaging Bridges.
"The Government hasn't been out of office that long. That always makes life difficult because there will be comparisons.
"I don't think he'll be perturbed by that. Actually I'm actually trying to stay out of the limelight, just not achieving it very well."
The conference's special guest speaker was Rocketlab boss Peter Beck, who thanked the previous National-led Government for helping his company to thrive.
