Former Prime Minister Sir John Key had a staunch message to any National MPs who continue to leak against the party: “If you can’t quit leaking, quit the party”.
He was speaking at National’s AGM in Wellington this morning, where he, leader Judith Collins and party president Peter Goodfellow addressed hundreds of delegates following a disastrous election result.
Collins spoke about the opportunities that lie ahead for National and how it can take power in 2023.
Goodfellow, who is up for re-election as president today, however, attacked the media and Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern.
But the most applause of the morning came after Key took aim at National MPs who have been leaking to the media.
“Here is my very simple advice to those who like to leak to the media – if you can’t quit your leaking, here’s clue quit the party.”
He said even if the leakers somehow think they are doing the party good, that attitude is wrong.
“Disunity is reported as disunity because that’s exactly what it is.”
He said voters “hugely punish” disunity.
“The public look at it and say ‘for goodness sake, if they can’t run their own party, how on earth will they run a party.” [ this was how the comment was reported by the ODT but I suspect the correct quote would read ‘if they can’t run their own party, how on earth will they run a county?”]
He told MPs it was okay to disagree and to debate ideas – but that should be done privately.
“We shouldn’t do it by going behind people’s backs.”
Meanwhile, Key also warned National Party faithful not to underestimate Ardern.
“Some people are going to tell you that eventually the public is going to get sick of Jacinda Ardern”. But he said that was a mistake.
“It is exactly what the Labour Party said about me for nearly a decade. If we underestimate Jacinda and her advisers, we will be in opposition for a very long time.”
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