Keeping in mind that at the time of writing we don’t have the full story and who knows what’s likely to come crawling out of the woodwork, this could arguably be the best decision Todd Muller could make. It takes courage to see your own failings, face them and act on them and if that turns out to be the case here, then I applaud his courage and wish him and his family the best.
“It has become clear to me that I am not the best person to be leader of the Opposition and leader of the New Zealand National Party at this critical time for New Zealand,” Muller said in a statement.
“The role has taken a heavy toll on me personally, and on my family, and this has become untenable from a health perspective.”
“I intend to take some time out of the spotlight to spend with family and restore my energy before reconnecting with my community,” Muller said in the statement.
“I look forward to continuing to serve as a loyal member of the National Party team and Member of Parliament for Bay of Plenty.
“I will not be making any further comment. Please respect the privacy of my family and me
I’m sure BFD readers will join with me in hoping this is not about some major serious health issue that has suddenly arisen.
Politics is a brutal, tough game. For a man who has been in parliament for almost two terms, one might suggest that Todd Muller should have already had a good grasp of how the game is played and should have been well prepared to come in with all guns blazing and wrestle control from a very weak government.
Instead, he looked lost from day one, trying to be all things to all people, especially those who are never going to vote for National anyway. He totally misread his electorate and as often happens in politics, the pressure just keeps building up.
The pressure was never going to stop building unless he took the whole “woke” nonsense by the scruff of the neck and gave it a really good shake up. It became clear very early that he wasn’t going to do that. He’s heavily enmeshed in it and the electorate that doesn’t support Labour is looking for that stuff to be kicked for touch.
For the National Party, the question is now a huge one: Who is to lead them into the election? There’s always been much touting on this site for Judith Collins. I’m not going to debate Ms Collins abilities, we know what they are. I have a lot of respect for Judith Collins but the chalice is so poisoned, if I was her I’d be hiding out somewhere in the back country until this is all over. Except that in reality, SHE IS ALL THEY HAVE.
Other than Collins, look at their possibles list:
Nikki Kaye
Amy Adams
Paul Goldsmith
Gerry Brownlee
Michael Woodhouse
Louise Upston
Mark Mitchell
Scott Simpson
Todd McClay
Chris Bishop
Shane Reti
Nicola Willis
Jacqui Dean
David Bennett
Simon Bridges
Melissa Lee
Andrew Bayly
Alfred Ngaro
Barbara Kuriger
Jonathan Young
Tim MacIndoe
Nick Smith
Given that there’s an election just weeks away, who among them has the charisma, the experience, the track record, the profile and the ability to pull this totally lost party together and present an acceptable option to the country?
It’s going to be a rough week for the Nats.