Simon Bridges has refused to name the two people he says are planning to challenge his leadership. Photo / File
Simon Bridges has refused to name the two people he says are planning to challenge his leadership. Photo / File
National Party leader Simon Bridges has confirmed two MPs are expected to challenge his leadership, though he has refused to name them.
Todd Muller and Nikki Kaye are thought to be planning to challenge Bridges and his deputy Paula Bennett for their respective positions, according to a Newshub report thismorning.
Speaking to Newstalk ZB's Mike Hosking, Bridges said he was confident he would win the party vote next Tuesday, at the party's next scheduled caucus meeting.
Asked about Muller, Judith Collins and Kaye specifically, Bridges refused to confirm or deny names, saying challengers deserved the dignity of making their own announcements.
In the past hour Collins has called Newstalk ZB to confirm she isn't running.
The confirmation comes after the National Party plummeted to 30 per cent in a public poll. Labour surged to 56.5 per cent under Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern's leadership throughout the Covid-19 crisis.
The Newshub Reid Research poll is the first since the coronavirus pandemic around the world started.
It also showed Ardern was very much New Zealanders' preferred country leader - scoring 59.5 per cent. That was up more than 20 points on the last poll.
It is the highest result any New Zealand PM has scored in a Reid Research Poll.
Bridges told Hosking the biggest issue New Zealand faced right now was its economic future. The leadership challenge was a "massive distraction" but he wanted to deal with it and move on and "win an election".
