Whanganui Chronicle
  • Whanganui Chronicle home
  • Latest news
  • Sport
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Property
  • Death notices
  • Classifieds

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • On The Up
  • Sport
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Residential property listings
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology

Locations

  • Taranaki
  • National Park
  • Whakapapa
  • Ohakune
  • Raetihi
  • Taihape
  • Marton
  • Feilding
  • Palmerston North

Media

  • Video
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-Editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

Weather

  • New Plymouth
  • Whanganui
  • Palmertson North
  • Levin

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Whanganui Chronicle / Opinion

Comment: Jami-Lee Ross' revenge was astonishing and could prove fatal to Simon Bridges

Claire Trevett
By Claire Trevett
Political Editor, NZ Herald·NZ Herald·
15 Oct, 2018 11:55 PM4 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

Focus: Bridges denies corruption allegations as Ross is kicked out of the National Party
Simon Bridges denies corruption allegations as Jami-Lee Ross is kicked out of the National Party. ...
Video Player is loading.
Current Time 0:00
/
Duration 0:00
Loaded: 0%
0:00
Stream Type LIVE
Remaining Time -0:00
 
1x
    • Chapters
    • descriptions off, selected
    • captions settings, opens captions settings dialog
    • captions off, selected

      This is a modal window.

      Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window.

      Text
      Text Background
      Caption Area Background
      Font Size
      Text Edge Style
      Font Family

      End of dialog window.

      This is a modal window. This modal can be closed by pressing the Escape key or activating the close button.

      Tourist killed by elephant, prominent Kiwis oppose regulatory standards bill | NZ Herald News Update

      UP NEXT:

      Autoplay in
      5
      Disable Autoplay
      Cancel Video
      Simon Bridges denies corruption allegations as Jami-Lee Ross is kicked out of the National Party.
      NOW PLAYING • Focus: Bridges denies corruption allegations as Ross is kicked out of the National Party
      Simon Bridges denies corruption allegations as Jami-Lee Ross is kicked out of the National Party. ...
      Claire Trevett
      Opinion by Claire Trevett
      Claire Trevett is the New Zealand Herald’s Political Editor, based at Parliament in Wellington.
      Learn more

      There is only one word to describe the effect of the press conference held by Jami-Lee Ross to explain his "falling out" with National leader Simon Bridges: Boom.

      Ross stood for nearly an hour and outlined to the media what amounts to very serious allegations indeed about Bridges. The word "corrupt" was used, as was "a lack of moral compass". In the process he set quite the bonfire under both Bridges' leadership - and National's chances in 2020.

      NZ First leader Winston Peters' response perhaps best summed up the day when he walked up to the press pack, played a song called Burning Bridges on his phone and then walked off again.

      Funnily enough, it was interrupted halfway through by an incoming call from Don McKinnon, a former National Party MP.

      The most serious allegation related to a $100,000 donation which Ross claimed a Chinese businessman offered to National in May. Ross alleged Bridges instructed it to be broken up into smaller donations below the limit of disclosure and listed in separate names. Ross claimed a recording of a discussion with Bridges would be provided to police when he lodged a complaint tomorrow.

      Advertisement
      Advertise with NZME.
      Advertisement
      Advertise with NZME.

      READ MORE:
      Who is Jami-Lee Ross?
      Simon Bridges responds to Jami-Lee Ross' 'corrupt' claim
      Explosive claims: National sacks Jami-Lee Ross

      If Bridges was to have even the slightest chance of killing the story he had to discredit Ross immediately in relation to that allegation.

      That he did not do. Bridges emerged from caucus flanked by senior MPs - those Ross had said were best placed to replace Bridges as leader - to announce the caucus had voted to expel Ross.

      Advertisement
      Advertise with NZME.

      Had it not been for Ross' counter-offensive and resignation, that would have been quite a strong message of support from the caucus – Bridges had only talked about a suspension beforehand.

      But Bridges did not come with any answers on the allegations of the $100,000 donation.

      He simply declared claims he had engaged in unlawful or "corrupt" practices were "baseless" and said Ross should obtain a lawyer, a suggestion he might look at defamation action.

      But Bridges refused to talk about the details of the donation in question, including whether it had happened at all.

      Discover more

      New Zealand|politics

      Nats expel Jami-Lee Ross: 'Lying, leaking, lashing out'

      16 Oct 12:54 AM
      New Zealand|politics

      Electoral lawyer: If allegations true, Bridges could face jail

      16 Oct 01:39 AM
      New Zealand|politics

      National put up Chinese millionaire for QB honour list

      16 Oct 04:00 PM

      It was unclear whether that was because he could not talk about it, or simply would not. It beggared belief he had fronted without coming up with an answer to that allegation.
      Bridges' own appearance left more questions than answers.

      It may not be Ross' allegations that hurt Bridges but Bridges' response.

      Ross also ripped open the scab of Bridges' low personal ratings in National's internal polling. And he claimed Bridges and deputy leader Paula Bennett had told him of four women complaining about harassment by him - and suggesting he go on leave.

      The sole consolation for Bridges was that Ross stood alone as he set this out. Politicians on the outer usually have at least one colleague in support, even if not endorsement.

      But Ross' colleagues were all up in National's caucus room, deciding on Ross' future in the caucus and the party.

      Ross saved them the trouble of deciding that fate by announcing he was quitting the party and would resign from Parliament to force a byelection in the Botany electorate. He would stand in that as an independent.

      Advertisement
      Advertise with NZME.

      In the process, Ross slapped a whole shed load of other troubles on Bridges' desk and those of his former National Party colleagues, many of whom had expressed anger at his "disloyalty" when they went into the caucus.

      Those MPs inside caucus were told Ross was resigning, but knew nothing else of what Ross was saying until that caucus meeting ended just as Ross' press conference also ended.

      If they were furious going in they would have been incandescent when they came out.

      Ross' revenge was something quite astonishing and could well prove fatal for Bridges, whether or not the allegations come to anything.

      Unless it can be immediately discredited as the rantings of a man hellbent on vengeance, it will at the least leave months and months of legal to-ing and fro-ing.

      Save

        Share this article

      Latest from Whanganui Chronicle

      Whanganui Chronicle

      Community group seeks to manage historic reserve

      10 Jul 06:00 PM
      Whanganui Chronicle

      Chaos as Ruapehu council rejects officials' advice on water

      10 Jul 03:15 AM
      Whanganui Chronicle

      Strong winds bring weather warning and watches

      10 Jul 03:00 AM

      From early mornings to easy living

      sponsored
      Advertisement
      Advertise with NZME.
      Recommended for you
      'Not unexpected': Integrity watchdog's first year sees surge in complaints
      Sport

      'Not unexpected': Integrity watchdog's first year sees surge in complaints

      10 Jul 08:15 PM
      AI-driven exam breaches surge as schools grapple with cheating - top principal warns
      New Zealand

      AI-driven exam breaches surge as schools grapple with cheating - top principal warns

      10 Jul 08:08 PM
      Fresh flood threat as thunderstorms, gales lash north; south braces for another deluge
      New Zealand

      Fresh flood threat as thunderstorms, gales lash north; south braces for another deluge

      10 Jul 08:04 PM
      'Give Paea a chance': Wife's tearful plea for Tongan overstayer
      Rotorua Daily Post

      'Give Paea a chance': Wife's tearful plea for Tongan overstayer

      10 Jul 08:02 PM
      One dead, two injured in Far North crash
      Northern Advocate

      One dead, two injured in Far North crash

      10 Jul 08:01 PM

      Latest from Whanganui Chronicle

      Community group seeks to manage historic reserve

      Community group seeks to manage historic reserve

      10 Jul 06:00 PM

      'We’ve got youth, people in their 20s and 30s, and we see longevity.'

      Chaos as Ruapehu council rejects officials' advice on water

      Chaos as Ruapehu council rejects officials' advice on water

      10 Jul 03:15 AM
      Strong winds bring weather warning and watches

      Strong winds bring weather warning and watches

      10 Jul 03:00 AM
      'Values-led' construction company takes top prize at Māori Business Awards

      'Values-led' construction company takes top prize at Māori Business Awards

      10 Jul 01:00 AM
      Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky
      sponsored

      Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

      NZ Herald
      • About NZ Herald
      • Meet the journalists
      • Newsletters
      • Classifieds
      • Help & support
      • Contact us
      • House rules
      • Privacy Policy
      • Terms of use
      • Competition terms & conditions
      • Our use of AI
      Subscriber Services
      • Whanganui Chronicle e-edition
      • Manage your print subscription
      • Manage your digital subscription
      • Subscribe to Herald Premium
      • Subscribe to the Whanganui Chronicle
      • Gift a subscription
      • Subscriber FAQs
      • Subscription terms & conditions
      • Promotions and subscriber benefits
      NZME Network
      • Whanganui Chronicle
      • The New Zealand Herald
      • The Northland Age
      • The Northern Advocate
      • Waikato Herald
      • Bay of Plenty Times
      • Rotorua Daily Post
      • Hawke's Bay Today
      • Viva
      • NZ Listener
      • Newstalk ZB
      • BusinessDesk
      • OneRoof
      • Driven Car Guide
      • iHeart Radio
      • Restaurant Hub
      NZME
      • NZME Events
      • About NZME
      • NZME careers
      • Advertise with NZME
      • Digital self-service advertising
      • Book your classified ad
      • Photo sales
      • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
      TOP
      search by queryly Advanced Search