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The National Party has a Māori leader again – for a few days.
Shane Reti was put into the job until a leadership election next Tuesday after Judith Collins lost a no confidence vote in an emergency caucus meeting this morning.
It follows yesterday’s dramatic demotion by Ms Collins of Tauranga MP and former leader Simon Bridges for comments he allegedly made five years ago to Waitaki MP Jacqui Dean.
Mr Bridges told media this afternoon he had not decided whether to stand again for the leadership.
Others expected in the contest are Mark Mitchell and Christopher Luxon.
Ms Collins was leader for 499 days.
Dr Reti says the caucus had ‘concerns’ about the way Ms Collins demoted Mr Bridges by press release.
His job now was to shepherd the caucus through to the leadership decision.
He says it’s not the party’s best day, and they will now raise their eyes to the sky and get on with the work they were tasked to do.
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