I highly doubt that National politician Amy Adams is leaving to spend more time with her family. That is a hackneyed old excuse used by almost every politician on the planet when they resign.
She was in the leadership race only recently, so she clearly had intended to stay with National, so what has changed? For a start, she lost the leadership race to Simon Bridges. If she were truly ambitious she would hang around, now that Simon Bridges is polling so badly, for a second bite at the cherry, but she has chosen not to.
Why would she choose to walk away when she came in second place during the last leadership race? Shouldn’t she be the logical replacement for Simon Bridges?
Something must have changed to make her think that she no longer has a shot at the top job.
Amy Adams came into parliament in 2008, so she had only experienced being in government until her mate Bill screwed up and lost the election by failing to negotiate a deal with Winston Peters. Now she is cutting and running, as she clearly believes that Bridges will condemn them to at least three more years in opposition.
Oh dear. Guess who doesn’t think National is going to win next year’s election? National.
In one day Amy Adams hangs up her hat, followed by Alistair Scott. Both Nats, both young, both not really in the game for all that long, and both running for the hills.
Last week it was Christopher Luxon – who isn’t even in the political game yet, far less the party – and half the media had him replacing Bridges as leader.
This week Bridges is watching half his caucus basically say, “It’s been fun. But if you think I’m hanging around for another three years of sitting on the wrong side of the house, you’re kidding.”
Adams is a particular disappointment, because it was, comparatively speaking, five minutes ago she wanted to be leader.
If you want to be leader you’re going nowhere. You are dedicated to the party and the cause. And one can safely assume that, if she had won, she would be there now and fighting the election next year.
So the only conclusion you can draw is she sees defeat. And she doesn’t like not being in government.
[…] Every time Bridges says, “We are in this”, you’ve got retirements that say, “No, we are not”.
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