National moves deck chairs on the Simon Bridges Titanic
National’s reshuffle has twitched and shuddered its latest spasm under the pretence of relevancy and produced the kind of political sophistry only the most delusional would believe in…
National leader Simon Bridges has taken the infrastructure portfolio off Judith Collins in a reshuffle following Amy Adams’ announcement she would be leaving.
Collins stays in the exact same position at number 4 in the National Party rankings but has lost her Infrastructure portfolio to new finance spokesman Paul Goldsmith, who replaces Adams in the number 3 spot.
Bridges said nothing should be read into the movement of the portfolio as it was more to do with a realisation that infrastructure belonged to the finance portfolio.
It’s understood relations between Bridges and Collins remain frosty after perceived signs of disloyalty from Collins earlier this year.
The reshuffle followed Adams’ announcement, and the news the party’s Wairarapa MP Alastair Scott would stand down before 2020 general election.
It comes two days before a Government reshuffle of Cabinet.
Adams’ other role of shadow attorney-general will head to Tim Macindoe.
Goldsmith’s transport role has been handed to Chris Bishop, who rises 18 spots in the rankings to number 16.
Bishop’s police role has been given to Brett Hudson.
Bridges’ confidante Todd McClay has taken the main economic development role from Goldsmith.
…we will all miss the terrible sadness in Amy Adams eyes.
Simon says the demotion of his biggest rival, Judith ‘Winter’s Coming’ Collins, in favor of Paul Goldsmith is because Paul has worked hard.
Really?
Every 3 years Paul ritually humiliates himself in Epsom so ACT can win – which is a wonderful trait for a masochist but is it number 3 level qualities? If Paul Goldsmith is the answer then the question must be, ‘what-pale-stale-white-male-is-so-mediocre-they-manage-to-make-Simon-look-like-a-giant-of-potential’.
It’s so good that Chris Bishop has been promoted inside National – after he attempted to push Gun rights just before the Christchurch atrocity he’s been as relevant as David Seymour’s dance moves – Bishop’s rise is a strong signal to talentless boof heads that you too can advance in National no matter how spineless and intellectually vacant you are.
Simon Bridges keeps referring to National as the ‘natural home of talent’ which suggests that Simon has no working knowledge of the words ‘natural’, ‘home’ or ‘talent’.
As for Todd McClay and Brett Hudson, the question ‘who’, tends to immediately follow any utterance of their names so if they are highlights, it’s a very short promo reel.
So effectively mediocre white men have been advanced over any actual promotion of ability and charisma which isn’t a criticism of National, it’s more a statement of fact that denotes the very values they stand and sit when their told for.
I’ve seen more dynamic yawns than this reshuffle, it manages to make the term Shadow Cabinet even less substantive. More like a Wraith Cabinet.
If this cavalcade of mediocrity wins the 2020 election, not even God can save New Zealand.
Listening to Suzie Fergusson interview Bridges on National Radio this morning. She repeatedly asked him who called who – “Did you call Luxon or did he call you?”
He wouldn’t answer. Weaseled around the truth, emitted a constant stream of pre-scripted, irrelevant verbal diarrhea to distract and obfuscate, like a trained seal performing on command.
Four or five times in succession she asked, but still he wouldn’t answer.
I guess that’s what you get from an ex-Crown prosecutor – avoidance, complete avoidance and nothing but avoidance.
Yeah I heard it as well
What an evasive shifty little weasel!!
We just got a warning what Simon Bridges would be like as a PM
a conversation between him and a journo:
Journo: “What time is it Mr Bridges?”
Bridges: “Look I’m not here to reveal to you what time it is, I’m here to tell you how amazing I am”
Bloody egg
He’s trying to be like JK with his obfuscation – and failing miserably. Key had one thing he doesn’t – the ability to look someone in the eye, grin like a Cheshire cat, piss on them and tell them it is raining.
Bridges just comes across as a smarmy little try-hard.
Yep the real Soimen is when someone puts a hidden tape recorder in front of him!
By the way is either Carter or Pugh still there?
Only Simon Bridges would call demotions a natural none for talent
It seems jhonkey hasn’t learnt his lesson he is interfering with our politics even though he says he isn’t interested we have heard all his bull before he cant help himself he wants to do more damage to our country. Who do u think persuaded luxon and really we dont need more of the the same rich white men who think they know best when our fucken country is actually in a mess and is more divided than ever.
It seems jhonkey hasn’t learnt his lesson he is interfering with our politics even though he says he isn’t interested we have heard all his bull before he cant help himself he wants to do more damage to our country. Who do u think persuaded luxon and really we dont need more of the the same rich white men who think they know best when our fucken country is actually in a mess and is more divided than ever.
Michele and Martyn, I’m getting a little bit bored with this “rich white men” line. And I despise National.
If I was to describe Labour or Greens as “radical gay feminists” or similar you would quite correctly lynch me for stereotyping with it’s attendant evils.
Understand this. Just because National have a lot of rich white men they get voted for, by other rich men and women of all ethnicities. Rich men vote for rich women like Ruth, Jenny, Amy, Judith. The Natz have rich Asians, Pasifika, Maori and Indians on their team.
It does the Left no favours to go on endlessly about “rich white men”, it’s a real turn off for people who could vote Left. Going on about the “wealthy” might be more useful.
Seems Si is trying hard to convince himself “National is the natural home of talent”. Poor misguided boy.
Hmmmm… and this was the party that for 9 years wrecked unions, wrecked infrastructure and set family’s into living on the streets in their cars, sold off state homes , and didn’t give a tuss about children dying of preventable third world diseases in the cold moldy damp derelict state homes they didn’t manage to sell off…
And created a tax haven.
OK then.
Oh ,… and their leader had a pony tail fetish.
Tell me … why did New Zealand make allowances for these creeps for 9 long years?
Why ?
Indeed, the Natz allowed massed immigration to put pressure on everything, especially housing. That pushed up prices as did low interest rates, tax cuts, tax offsets on income for property…launching a whole bubble.
And of course rents went up. If you weren’t in the bubble game, too poor, well you got stiffed. Such is the philosophy of Natz.
They are finished and they know it.
plus 100 Doc
One can only imagine what will happen to Bridges in terms of where he is placed if Judith Collins becomes leader – heaven forbid.
If Collins becomes leader then you have far more things to worry about than where Bridges gets relegated to.
If the news is anything to go by (and I don’t believe any of it) then Luxon may just nip in the back door and steal the throne from all of them.
Goldsmith was undoubtedly rewarded precisely because he’s willing to take one for the team. Taking one for the team every three years, and at the hands of David ‘Rimmer’ Seymour in what is a blisteringly transparent act of gaming the system to prop up National’s ailing fortunes, means Goldsmith is the perfect candidate for advancement. Prostituting yourself on behalf of people prone to throwing you under the bus at the drop of a hat is a trait all ambitious National Party MPs should cultivate. They just need to keep a wary eye out for the bus. Loyalty counts for naught. Hard work and competence also count for naught. You don’t even have to become a political liability. If you’re a benign non-entity or deemed to be ‘not mission critical’ once the numbers are in, you’re on a hiding to nothing. I’m no fan of Amy Adams, but she’s been stiffed. I mean, Goldsmith? Really? Nice one, Simon. Truly, a man of the people. I’d start wearing a stab-proof vest after this, because the knives will be out and in great abundance.
Personally nick J i dont give a flying f..k what you think i am getting bored and sick and tired of men telling women what to do with their vaginas and they have been doing that for centuries and they are still doing it. And i vote in the Maori electorate and our Maori people don’t get sick and tired of hearing rich white men and women are running our country and always think hey know bests, best for who? Now if you don’t like what i say go onto kiwiblog where all the one eyed racist arseholes are.
Cool. Divide and conquer works then. Don’t you realise that the wealthy just love your response. They don’t want me and you joining forces. Do you think wealthy white / Maori / Asian/ mem or women give a fekk about poor people black white male or female?
And when you sling that racism barbarian they love it more. Get the buggers fighting. The rich will watch us fight and say that it proves all they ever said about the “underclass”. Well done.
And who does mass inmmigration effect the most nick j ? not rich white men and women they live in gated communities and send their kids to private schools yet we have a group of clowns devising policy for others mostly policy that does not effect them its called the top down approach
Yes, and it’s wrong. Totally wrong. And it means those that have money get more, and if you don’t you pay more. It’s the way Natz work because they need the poor to pay for their wealth. Low wages, user pays, high rents…straight in their pockets. Again they don’t care about our sex or race, they just want our money.
Cool. Divide and conquer works then. Don’t you realise that the wealthy just love your response. They don’t want me and you joining forces. Do you think wealthy white / Maori / Asian/ mem or women give a fekk about poor people black white male or female?
And when you sling that racism barbarian they love it more. Get the buggers fighting. The rich will watch us fight and say that it proves all they ever said about the “underclass”. Well done.