Deputy Prime Minister Grant Robertson poked fun at the National Party this afternoon using an unusual approach targeting MP Chris Bishop.
Robertson’s speech immediately followed Opposition leader Judith Collins’ in Parliament’s general debate, where she criticised a number of ministers.
“We’ve already got a minister of housing [Megan Woods] who is starting to make Phil Twyford look like a genius. Absolute genius,” Collins said in the House.
She also told Tourism Minister Stuart Nash to “pivot yourself” after he told tourism operators to “pivot” their business as they continued to struggle through the Covid-19 pandemic without international visitors.
“Open the borders, let people in … all they’re relying on these days, and I love the irony of it, is the farmers.”
Robertson then began his address, amid rumours of further leadership coups in National: “There is the speech that launched Chris Luxon’s leadership campaign.”
He then took aim at National’s Covid-19 Response spokesperson Bishop, emphasising his status as a “list MP” after he’d lost his Hutt South seat.
“Picture the scene … Chris Bishop wakes up in his Hutt Valley compound,” Robertson begins.
“He’s fully clothed, surrounded by empty curry containers and handwritten affirmation notes: ‘You are a good person Chris Bishop’, ‘My colleagues value my knowledge even if they don’t say so.’”
Bishop seemed to take the jabs in his stride, and was seen laughing alongside colleague Nicola Willis. Robertson theorised the pair were in the middle of a “plot”.
Others in the House could also be heard laughing.
He goes on to taunt National’s review into its conduct at last year’s election. It comes after reports MPs weren’t allowed to view the full version of it.
The review was expected to be discussed with National’s MPs this morning at caucus, but party president Peter Goodfellow was not committing to releasing it to MPs. (Source: Other)
“It’s a high-trust environment in the National Party right now. Desperate, divided and disunified.”
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