National Party members and supporters are all very relieved that the National Party leadership was resolved without a vote. There is genuine optimism about the party going forward that has been missing in the last few years.
One of the questions that many have raised with me, is what should be done with the former leaders. One of the more mischievous suggestions was that they all be made bench mates at the back of the House. The thought of Judith, Simon and Todd all sitting next to each would be a delight to TV camera operators who would probably devote a camera purely to recording their expressions, but I am not one of those who think former leaders should depart the scene. If that was the case we would have lost Bill English in 2005.
Obviously, decisions around who stands for re-election in 2023 will need to be made in a year or so, but for now, what National needs is unity and a strong team. National does not have a large enough caucus that it can afford to have some MPs idle.
So I believe Bridges, Muller, and Collins should all have substantive portfolios and I was delighted to see Simon made Finance Spokesperson. National’s best chance of winning in 2023 is based on economic credibility, and National needs someone who can match and beat Robertson.
Muller’s background makes him ideal for some sort of role in the trade or primary industries sector. In fact, National is very light on people with a background in primary industries.
Collins has shown a real passion for the tech sector, especially AI. At a minimum, one would expect her to have a continuing role there. But I would also look at perhaps creating a special role around leading a cross-portfolio approach to combating gangs. The doubling of gang numbers is a huge issue, and National needs to keep a focus on this.
What National need is a unified happy team where every MP feels they are contributing to the caucus. Hopefully, this is what we will see when the new portfolios are announced in the next few days.