After Opposition Leader, Todd Muller’s shock exit this morning, the National Party has spent the evening in an Emergency Caucus meeting.
Nikki Kaye, who was the current National Deputy, was the acting leader until the vote confirmed the new leader.
Judith Collins and Simon Bridges were the front runners to take the reins of the embattled party.
Judi Collins was elected as confirmed by the National Party’s Media Representative. Her Deputy will be Gerry Brownlee.
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‘Big Job Ahead’
Judith Collins fronted the media with her whole ‘determined’ front bench to represent the people of New Zealand. She acknowledged the difficult times the New Zealand economy through.
‘She was very pleased to have this honour’ said Collins. She said her deputy, Brownlee, was always going to be elected.
‘There is no chance I am going to let Prime Minister Ardern get away with anything… I am going to hold her to account’ she continued.
The group was very cheerful and laughed as journalists asked questions.
‘Politics is a difficult place’
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern sent her best wishes to Muller and his family.
“No matter what side of Parliament you’re sitting, politics is a difficult place,” the prime minister said in a statement.
Collins was said to be ‘flabagastered’ by Muller announcement. And said there ‘was no doubt’ that Muller would stay in the Party with their full support and respect.
New Zealand goes to the polls in September in what is expected to be a coronavirus-dominated campaign.
Recent opinion polls have predicted that Labour could govern on its own, without needing a coalition partner, helped by the soaring popularity of Ardern with most New Zealanders approving of her government’s handling of the crisis.