Simon Bridges’ memoir, ‘National Identity: Confessions of an Outsider’, illustrates that humans are more complicated than the categories we put them into.
Read MoreThe Ambiguity of Labels
Simon Bridges
Mañana Politics
Just where in the economic spectrum does the current National Party stand?
Read MorePharaoh Bridges swamped by pestilence and poor polls
Simon Bridges was never likely to be National’s next Prime Minister, but he had scrapped his way to within inches of a campaign. Then came a plague and he hadn’t built any political immunity
Read MorePolitics Preview 2020: The one thing each party can control
Happy new election year! Each of the parties in parliament will be faced with an array of politics they can’t predict or control. But some things are clear, even on new year’s day. So these are the things they will be looking to control in 2020
Read MorePolitics Review 2019: Progress all round
The past year has been one of pretty positive progress by all the parliamentary parties. Let’s take a look at what they’ve achieved in 2019
Read MoreSimon Bridges' Treaty settlement tweet may foresee the future – for better or worse
Is the Ihumatao protest a turning point in our race relations, where our understanding of the Treaty of Waitangi – and the promise of ‘full and final’ settlements – gets re-evaluated and overhauled?
Read MoreControversy Creates Cash: Simon Bridges and the Monday Night Wars
The Leader of the Opposition forced a No Contest and inflicted a Dusty finish on the Wellbeing Budget... a story of politics through the lens of professional wrestling
Read MoreGabriel Makhlouf's already had three strikes. Can he really avoid being 'out'?
You don't have to believe the conspiracy theories to see that Treasury Secretary Gabriel Makhlouf is in serious trouble. A new inquiry will have to uncover something yet unknown to excuse the three strikes he committed last week
Read MoreThe impossibility of being Simon Bridges
It's not slushies or Judith Collins doing for Simon Bridges. The fact is that he was the longest of long shots when he took the reins and events tell us he'd need a miracle from here
Read MoreAfter the terror, fear must not win
As we start to wrestle with the pain and lessons of this heart-rending act of terror in Christchurch, let us not fall into the trap of being driven by fear and ignorance. Because that's how this all began
Read MoreSimon Bridges, National and the Serious Fraud Office - what does it all mean?
The Police have referred their investigation into $100,000 in donations to the National Party to the Serious Fraud Office. It's hard to know just what that means, except that it's the quintissential political "bad look".
Read MoreNewshub poll: If this is the winter of Bridge's discontent, he can't be too discontented
I'm shocked I tell you. Shocked... Shocked that anyone would be surprised by tonight's Newshub-Reid Research poll. The seasons of politics are turning as expected. The complicating factor is Judith Collins.
Read MoreDon't give me culture - the question of character
As a practical people we have been well served by a focus on policy and outcomes. But the Jami-Lee Ross controversies raise the question, 'how much does character and integrity matter?'
Read MoreDon't give me culture - change it
The leaders of the main two parties both seem determined to miss a moment when voters would love to see them grapple with the unhealthy culture pervading our political life. It's time to move beyond the same old excuses
Read MoreRoss, Bridges and the party hopping law (updated for recent developments)
Should Simon Bridges use the party hopping law to force Jami-Lee Ross from Parliament? You can make up your own mind up on that, but he can if National's caucus wants him to [update: unless Ross' seat becomes vacant because of his mental health].
Read MoreRoss, Bridges, donations and our Politics
Jamie-Lee Ross has levelled a very serious accusation against Simon Bridges - which has yet to be confirmed. But its the way his actions are hurting our Politics we need to really worry about.
Read MoreTime for leaker to come clean and get help
UPDATED: This post is a different version from one published on RNZ this morning. It takes into account Trevor Mallard's decision to halt the inquiry into the leak of Simon Bridge's travel expenses. A decision that doesn't resolve anything
Read MorePlaying political dress-up – Party leaders still trying on their new roles
Four of New Zealand's five most senior politicians are now under 45 and one the most notable features of this term so far is the sight of party leaders struggling to exercise power and to come to terms with the big jobs
Read MoreMy spy boy told your spy boy, "I'm gonna set you flag on fi-yo."
Should we just make up some Russian spies so we can kick them out because the rest of the world is doing it? Or, would that be a less-than-ideal politicisation of intelligence information? I report, you decide.
Read MoreSteven Joyce and the turning of the tide
Of course there was nothing else for it. Steven Joyce was never going to sit there and fade into insignificance. So now National begins its true test, and it could signal a realignment on the right of New Zealand politics
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