Simon Bridges

Simon Joseph Bridges (born October 1976) is a New Zealand politician and lawyer. He was the Leader of the New Zealand National Party and Leader of the Opposition from 27 February 2018 to 22 May 2020. He was the Member of Parliament for Tauranga from 2008 until 2022. 

Bridges has served in several Cabinet portfolios, including  Minister of Transport (2014–2017), Minister of Economic Development (2016–2017) and Leader of the House (2017).

He is the first person with Māori ancestry to serve as leader of the National Party, and the first to lead a major party in New Zealand.

On 22 May 2020, following poor polling for the party, Bridges was challenged for the party leadership and replaced by Todd Muller. He would go onto retiring from the leadership of the party less than two months later.

On 24 November 2021, Bridges was removed from the shadow cabinet of Judith Collins, because of a rude comment he made to fellow MP Jacqui Dean in 2016. After removing Bridges from her shadow cabinet, a motion of no confidence was passed against Collins and removed her as party leader. Bridges ran to replace her as party leader, but withdrew on the day of the vote and supported the eventual winner Christopher Luxon.

Bridges announced his retirement from politics in March 2022 and resigned as MP two months later in May.

References

Category:1976 births
Category:Living people
Category:Leaders of the Opposition (New Zealand)
Category:New Zealand Māori people
Category:University of Auckland alumni