Former National leader Simon Bridges feels his controversial Facebook post has now been vindicated. Photo / George Novak
Simon Bridges feels vindicated about the Facebook post that marked the beginning of the end of his leadership of the National Party.
Speaking to the Herald’s On the Tiles politics podcast about his new book, National Identity, Bridges reflected on the post, which went viral on Facebook during the first Covid-19 lockdown in New Zealand.
The post excoriated the Government for not being prepared enough to leave lockdown behind.
« All books by politicians have a bit of score-settling – I wanted to do a bit of that, to tell my side, » Bridges said.
« Looking back on it what was sort of wrong? » Bridges asked.
« What people would say is I didn’t read the room, » he said.
« I had a view that, you know what, I wanted to be a politician who was truth-telling that – I don’t want to sound like a prophet – spoke the future and saw where things were going. In the end, smart-arse me, I got quite a lot of stuff right on gangs and a variety of other [things]. »
Bridges said there was a « lesson » in this, which was « don’t get too ahead of people – and maybe not on a pandemic ».
Bridges’ book is open-ended – it doesn’t give any explicit indication as to what will come next in his life, although it hints that job could be in politics (leading many to assume Bridges will have another tilt at the National Party leadership).
« I think we are all working out who we are.
« As a politician, I suppose what I know is – terrible politician to quote given the connotations that go with him – but something Richard Nixon said which is you can’t know the highs of the mountains unless you’ve expressed the lows of the valleys, » Bridges said.
« I would suggest all careers basically do end in failure – that’s Enoch Powell, but that’s true, » he said.
« I want overall, a meaningful journey, I don’t expect full success, » he said.
Bridges did not rule out a future tilt at the National leadership. He said he is not seeking the leadership. That did not mean, however, he would not take the leadership if it came his way.
When asked whether he hoped he’d get to the top of the « mountain » again, Bridges said: « I hope so. »
On the Tiles is available on iHeartRadio, Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.
You can find more New Zealand Herald podcasts at nzherald.co.nz/podcasts or on iHeartRadio.

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