5 Nov 2018

New Jami-Lee Ross recording - political analysis

From Morning Report, 8:10 am on 5 November 2018

The Opposition leader Simon Bridges is insisting he did not try and cover up the handling of the Jami-Lee Ross saga. Newshub's AM Show has played extracts of a phone conversation between Mr Bridges, his deputy Paula Bennett and Mr Ross early last month in which they discuss Mr Ross' looming break from Parliament. They agree to cite medical grounds, and Mr Bridges assures Mr Ross that if all goes well, he'd be able to return to Parliament and perhaps even be promoted. Ms Bennett tells Mr Ross they're trying to deal with him in the lightest way possible. Mr Bridges told Morning Report he was dealing with a very complex situation and was not trying to cover up internal discord. RNZ's political editor is Jane Patterson.