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Only one logical choice to set a new course for National

Janet Wilson

Janet Wilson has returned to journalism after working in public relations, including a stint with the National Party.

The end, when it came, was of biblical proportions and by her own hand. Former National Party leader Judith Collins clearly hasn’t read ancient Chinese warrior-philosopher Sun Tzu’s The Art of War, which outlines the steps needed to become a competent leader and fighter.

If she had, she would know that ‘‘victorious warriors win first and then go to war, while defeated warriors go to war first and then seek to win’’.

Instead, Collins stuck to her one tried and true party trick on Wednesday night in trying to outmanoeuvre ongoing rumours of her demise and the phoenix-like rising of Simon Bridges: offence is the best defence.

After all, it had worked before in dealing to long-serving MP Nick Smith, former Speaker David Carter and former leader Todd Muller; why wouldn’t it work again?

But in focusing on comments that Bridges made to Waitaki MP Jacqui Dean nearly five years ago, Collins this time severely overplayed her hand and displayed the lack of judgment that has been the hallmark of her leadership.

The caucus, tired of hypocritically being harangued about discipline from a leader who didn’t display any herself, turned on her, rewarding her with a vote of no confidence.

Taking to Twitter, she said she knew that she ‘‘would likely lose the leadership by taking the matter so seriously. If I hadn’t, then I felt that I wouldn’t deserve the role’’. It was a how-can-she-have-thetemerity-when-her-intent-wasplain-to-see moment.

But in trying to resuscitate her own political career, Collins has created plenty of other collateral damage along the way.

The first is Jacqui Dean, who in accepting Bridges’ apology more than four years ago displayed an astounding amount of political callowness in dragging the carcass of the issue out again.

Then there’s the National Party itself, a husk of its former glory days, while David Seymour, leader of its centre-right partner, ACT, barely contains his glee at the prospect that this latest debacle will give him an early Christmas present as he rises souffle-like in the polls.

Can we expect to see ACT crest the 20-point mark? Quite possibly.

Meanwhile, in The Great Interregnum before Tuesday’s leadership vote, there’s horsetrading to be done and speculation uttered as to who will take over as the National Party’s next leader.

Speculation aside, there are two main contenders: Simon Bridges and Chris Luxon.

On Wednesday, Bridges was already framing up that he is a different man now from when he made his offensive remarks five years ago, indicating that he’ll run. But some mud from this week’s debacle will stick to him.

Will it be enough to scupper his careful John Howard-like resurrection back to party leader?

It’s been a carefully crafted campaign that has involved yaks and a memoir, and has taken the press gallery along for the ride.

The former Crown prosecutor is a strong wedge-issue politician, but his weakness when he was leader was poor personal polling. The fact that he didn’t have the numbers to immediately assume the leadership after this week’s spill speaks volumes about his chances on Tuesday.

Then there’s the new kid on the block – Botany MP Luxon. An absolute unknown politically, he has been carefully groomed for leadership and counts John Key as a friend and mentor.

There’s a view within the Nats that it’s too risky for Luxon to make such an early run, given that he only entered Parliament last October.

They could well reflect on Sun Tzu’s dictum that ‘‘in the midst of chaos, there is also opportunity’’.

Leadership is like pregnancy – there is no ‘‘right’’ time because ‘‘opportunities multiply as they are seized’’.

Luxon, previously the CEO of Air New Zealand, knows that if the party is to move on from last year’s catastrophic election result there must be change – which is a promising start. He would signal a break with the past and a new beginning.

There is a third possibility, almost a Clayton’s one; that interim leader Shane Reti will retain the leadership. This will play out in the nightmare scenario that the vote is split and there’s no consensus for either of the other candidates.

Reti acted as a balm during this week’s turmoil, appearing at the eventual stand-up with calm dignity. He is respected on both sides of the House and could be a leader who heals the wounds, but he would be viewed as a compromise choice.

If National is to start making the sorely needed change that restores trust from the voting public, it needs a ballot that results in a clear leader who will signal a new direction for the party.

There’s only one logical choice – Chris Luxon.

The fact that [Bridges] didn’t have the numbers to immediately assume the leadership after this week’s spill speaks volumes about his chances.

Opinion

en-nz

2021-11-27T08:00:00.0000000Z

2021-11-27T08:00:00.0000000Z

https://stuff.pressreader.com/article/281857236807616

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