Paul Goldsmith is NOT a retail politician. He’s drier than a week’s old toast. He may be smart but his emotional quotient is non-existent. When he was in Auckland Council he would go canvassing and door knocking and would wind up arguing, loudly, with Labour supporters. He is gaffe prone and now that he has been given a higher profile that will become more and more obvious.
Goldsmith is also staunchly loyal to Simon Bridges, which means that when Simon Bridges is replaced as leader Goldsmith is likely to lose his recent promotion to Finance spokesman. Barry Soper calls him the ‘invisible man’ which ironically is a name Whaleoil gave to Simon Bridges.
Up until now Paul Goldsmith’s been happy to be a somewhat invisible man of politics, well at least in his home suburb of Epsom. He’s been the gatekeeper there for the most obedient National Party voters in the country since he came into Parliament eight years ago, telling everyone to vote for ACT but to give their party vote to National.
[…] Goldsmith cut his teeth in Epsom in 2011 against his own political boss John Banks, who he beat hands down in the party vote but was happy to be beaten by him in the electorate count.
Given ACT’s dismal outing at the last election Goldsmith might finally be allowed to claim the seat for himself next year, which for him, would probably be as easy as presenting his first Budget if he gets the chance.
He’s written more books than many people have read, including a biography of Banksie and of Don Brash. In fact he’s credited with putting the finishing touches on Brash’s famous one-rule-for-all Orewa speech which saw the then National leader catapult in the opinion polls and come within a hair’s breadth of knocking Helen Clark off her perch, until she fought back with interest-free student loans.
Perhaps Goldsmith should give his boss Simon Bridges some speech writing advice.
A newspaper
