Election 2020: Judith Collins says post-election deal with NZ First 'not likely'
Judith Collins has started to put up election billboards in her home electorate Papakura, just four days after becoming the National Party leader. NZ First also has a big weekend in Auckland, launching its election campaign at its 27th convention. But Collins appeared to rule out working with them after the election. Speaking to media after putting up the billboards, she said had seen Winston Peters on Saturday morning and had wished him well but actually Id rather we just won. READ MORE: * National MP Nikki Kaye to quit politics at the election * Judith Collins' constituents divided on her promotion to National leader * Judith Collins, Gerry Brownlee 'can win': Dame Jenny Shipley She said it was not likely they would be in government together: I don't know if his party's going to be there after the election. "It's really important to understand the caucus has said that they don't want to do a deal with Winston Peters. There is no reason that I know that we are going to change that. "My view is I'm just not worried about him, or his party vote. I'm focused on the National Party vote." So exciting putting up my hoardings in Papakura today! A big thank you to all the lovely National Party volunteers who are helping our candidates this weekend, she said on Twitter. It comes almost a month after former leader Todd Muller revealed the partys campaign hoardings for the September 19 general election. Muller suddenly resigned from his position as leader on Tuesday, citing a heavy toll on his family and that the role had become untenable from a health perspective. As a result of Mullers sudden resignation, only 53 days after he rolled Simon Bridges from the partys top job in May, National MPs scrambled to pull down the newly outdated billboards . Billboards in Tukituki were erected on the Sunday prior, however all 15 had been removed by late- morning on Tuesday. Tukituki MP Lawrence Yule said he didnt think it was right to keep out-of-date billboards up and despite misty Hawkes Bay rain, made it his mission to take them down. They take a lot of work to put up, and theyre not easy to take down either. I managed to unscrew some, but in the end I had to rip some of them off, it wasnt ideal, but it is what it is. Yule said he was comforted that Labour also went through the same process during the last election, after Jacinda Ardern replaced Andrew Little as Labour Party leader. They were six to seven weeks out and they had to replace their billboards so Im feeling quite upbeat.