National Party has chosen to stick with their “rock,” the outgoing Prime Minister Bill English as the Leader of the Party in the new parliament.
The Deputy Leader position also remained unchanged with the caucus sticking with Paula Bennett.
Bill English was given the nickname of “rock” by many young Turks in the Party prior to election based on his performance as the country’s Finance Minister in successful sailing the country through the global financial crisis.
The Party was hopeful of sailing through 2017 election and getting a historic fourth successive term by sticking rock solid behind their leader Bill English, which was only doomed on last Thursday, October 19, when Winston Peters chose to side with their nemesis Labour Party in forming the next government.
Mr English has though delivered a rock-star performance on the election night by returning the Party with a record 46 per cent votes and the status of the single largest party in the new parliament.
Mr English continues to surprise many, including some commentators who were predicting his exodus and replacement by new generational leaders such as Nikki Kaye, by choosing not to give up and hoping to “rise again.”
Mr English had delivered one of the powerful one-liner statements in one of the live Leader’s debate before elections when he roared “I rose up again,” (after the drubbing of 2002 as the then National leader).
It seems that Mr English is living one more day (read this term of parliament) to rise again on another day (read 2020 election).
Although this is obviously a hope as of now, it does demonstrate resoluteness of the “old guard” in the Party, and the nation, if one is willing to accept that analogy, bit generously, about the values of discipline, and relentlessness in pursuing goals that one cherishes. – a good lesson for the newer generations, millennial, in particular.
Mr English told the media that the meeting of National MPs today was "sober and positive".