Simon Bridges facts for kids

Quick facts for kids The Honourable Simon Bridges
Bridges in 2015
37th Leader of the Opposition
In office 27 February 2018 – 22 May 2020
Prime Minister	Jacinda Ardern
Deputy	Paula Bennett
Preceded by	Bill English
Succeeded by	Todd Muller
12th Leader of the National Party
In office 27 February 2018 – 22 May 2020
Deputy	Paula Bennett
Preceded by	Bill English
Succeeded by	Todd Muller
10th Shadow Leader of the House
In office 2 November 2017 – 27 February 2018
Leader	Bill English
Preceded by	Chris Hipkins
Succeeded by	Gerry Brownlee
10th Leader of the House
In office 2 May 2017 – 26 October 2017
Prime Minister	Bill English
Deputy	Michael Woodhouse
Preceded by	Gerry Brownlee
Succeeded by	Chris Hipkins
Minister of Economic Development
In office 20 December 2016 – 26 October 2017
Prime Minister	Bill English
Preceded by	Steven Joyce
Succeeded by	David Parker
26th Minister of Transport
In office 6 October 2014 – 26 October 2017
Prime Minister	John Key Bill English
Preceded by	Gerry Brownlee
Succeeded by	Phil Twyford
24th Minister for Communications
In office 20 December 2016 – 26 October 2017
Prime Minister	Bill English
Preceded by	Amy Adams
Succeeded by	Clare Curran (Communications and Digital Media)
Member of the New Zealand Parliament for Tauranga
In office 8 November 2008 – 6 May 2022
Preceded by	Bob Clarkson
Succeeded by	Sam Uffindell
Majority	1,856
Personal details
Born	Simon Joseph Bridges (1976-10-12) 12 October 1976 (age 48) Auckland, New Zealand
Political party	National
Relations	Simon O'Connor (brother-in-law)
Education	University of Auckland (BA, LLB) London School of Economics St Catherine's College, Oxford (BCL)

Simon Joseph Bridges (born 12 October 1976) is a New Zealand retired politician, broadcaster, and lawyer. He was the Leader of the National Party and Leader of the Opposition from 2018 to 2020. He also served as the Member of Parliament for Tauranga from 2008 until he retired in May 2022. Simon Bridges is the first and only Māori person to lead a major political party in New Zealand.

Simon Bridges held several important roles in the Cabinet. These included Minister of Transport (2014–2017) and Minister of Economic Development (2016–2017). He was also the Leader of the House from May to October 2017. He became the National Party leader on 27 February 2018, taking over from former Prime Minister Bill English. On 22 May 2020, he was replaced by Todd Muller after the party's poll numbers dropped.

In November 2021, Simon Bridges was removed from the shadow cabinet by then-leader Judith Collins. This led to a vote of no-confidence in Collins' leadership. Simon Bridges planned to run for leader again but later supported Christopher Luxon. He announced his retirement from politics in March 2022 to spend more time with his family. After leaving Parliament, he became the CEO of the Auckland Business Chamber. He also started a podcast called Generally Famous and became the Chairperson of Waka Kotahi in 2024.

Early Life and Education

Simon Bridges was born in October 1976 in Auckland. He was the youngest of six children. His father was a Baptist minister, and his mother was a primary school teacher. His father was of Māori and Pākehā (New Zealand European) descent. Simon Bridges has family links to the Ngāti Maniapoto tribe through his grandmother.

He grew up in Te Atatū, West Auckland. He went to Rutherford College, where he was the head boy. He then studied at the University of Auckland, earning degrees in political science, history, and law.

Legal Career

Simon Bridges started his career as a lawyer in Auckland. In 2001, he moved to Tauranga to work as a Crown prosecutor. This meant he worked on jury trials in the District and High Courts. During this time, he also studied law in the United Kingdom at the London School of Economics and Political Science and St Catherine's College, Oxford. He also worked as an intern in the British House of Commons. He stopped working as a lawyer in 2008 when he decided to run for Parliament.

Early Political Steps

Simon Bridges joined the Young Nationals in 1992 when he was just 16. He became the Deputy New Zealand Chair in 1997. He was very active in the National Party in West Auckland. He also held other important roles within the party, including being the chairperson of the Tauranga National Party branch.

Member of Parliament

Election to Parliament: 2008–2011

In 2008, the current National MP for Tauranga, Bob Clarkson, decided not to run again. Simon Bridges then put his name forward to be the party's candidate for the area. In June 2008, he was chosen as the candidate. He was also placed at number 51 on National's party list.

Simon Bridges won the Tauranga seat with a large number of votes. He beat 11 other candidates, including New Zealand First leader Winston Peters. He also helped pass a law to increase penalties for animal cruelty.

Becoming a Minister: 2012–2017

Simon Bridges speaking at an election event in 2011

Simon Bridges was re-elected for Tauranga in the 2011 election election. In April 2012, Prime Minister John Key made him a Minister outside of the main Cabinet. He became Minister for Consumer Affairs and Associate Minister of Transport and Climate Change Issues. In January 2013, he joined the Cabinet. He became Minister of Labour and Minister of Energy and Resources.

He often appeared on TVNZ's Breakfast show. He was part of a segment called "Young Guns" with Labour MP Jacinda Ardern. In April 2013, Simon Bridges voted against a law that allowed same-sex couples to marry in New Zealand.

Simon Bridges, as Transport Minister, opens a cycle route in Palmerston North

After John Key resigned as Prime Minister in December 2016, Simon Bridges considered running for Deputy Leader of the National Party. However, he decided not to when it became clear Paula Bennett had more support. When Bill English became the new Prime Minister, Simon Bridges' roles changed. He became Minister for Economic Development, Minister for Communications, and Associate Minister of Finance. He also kept his role as Minister of Transport.

In Opposition: 2017–2022

Simon Bridges was re-elected in the 2017 election election. After the National government lost the election, he was no longer a minister. He became the Shadow Leader of the House. He was also the National Party spokesperson for Economic and Regional Development and Immigration. He hoped to become New Zealand's first Māori prime minister.

In February 2018, Bill English resigned as the leader of the National Party. Simon Bridges announced he would run for the leadership. On 27 February 2018, he was elected as the National Party leader. This also made him the Leader of the Opposition. He was the first person with Māori heritage to lead the National Party. Paula Bennett became his deputy.

Leadership Challenges

In August 2018, there was a report about Simon Bridges' travel expenses. This information was leaked, and the National Party asked for an investigation into who leaked it. The Speaker of the House, Trevor Mallard, started an inquiry. The inquiry was later called off after someone claimed to be the leaker and said they had mental health problems. Simon Bridges and other National MPs wanted the investigation to continue.

In October 2018, Simon Bridges suggested that National MP Jami-Lee Ross was the leaker. Ross then made claims against Bridges, which Bridges denied. The National Party then voted to remove Ross from the party.

COVID-19 Pandemic

On 24 March 2020, Simon Bridges led a special committee. This committee looked closely at how the Government was handling the COVID-19 pandemic in New Zealand. This committee met while the New Zealand Parliament was not in session.

In April, Simon Bridges received attention for traveling between Tauranga and Wellington. He was chairing the committee, which was meeting by video. He said he needed to be in Wellington for resources and media access. He later called for the level 4 lockdown to be lifted to help businesses.

Leadership Change in 2020

On 18 May 2020, a public opinion poll showed low support for Simon Bridges as Prime Minister. The National Party's support was also low. Because of this, National MPs Todd Muller and Nikki Kaye challenged him for the leadership. On 22 May, an emergency meeting was held. Simon Bridges lost his position as leader of the National Party and Leader of the Opposition.

Roles After Leadership

On 2 July 2020, Simon Bridges was given the foreign affairs role in Todd Muller's shadow cabinet. He was also moved to the number 17 spot on the National Party list.

After Judith Collins became National's leader, Simon Bridges moved up to the number four spot on the party list. He kept his foreign affairs role and also took on the justice role. In the 2020 general election, he kept his seat in Tauranga. After the election, he became the spokesperson for justice, water, Pike River Mine re-entry, and Māori–Crown relations.

In February 2021, Simon Bridges criticized Police Commissioner Andrew Coster's approach to gang and gun violence. He called Coster a "wokester commissioner" on Twitter. He continued to criticize Coster in June 2021.

In August 2021, Simon Bridges published a book called National Identity: Confessions of an Outsider.

In November 2021, Simon Bridges was removed from Judith Collins' shadow cabinet. This happened due to an issue from 2017 with fellow National Party MP Jacqui Dean. Simon Bridges said his comments were "clearly inappropriate." This event led to a vote of no confidence in Collins' leadership.

Christopher Luxon's Shadow Cabinet

Simon Bridges first said he would run for the National Party leadership again. However, he later withdrew and supported Christopher Luxon. Luxon was then elected as the new leader. In Luxon's Cabinet, Simon Bridges was given the number 3 spot and the roles of Finance and Infrastructure spokesperson.

Simon Bridges was one of only eight MPs who voted against the Conversion Practices Prohibition Legislation Act 2022 in February 2022.

Retirement from Politics

Simon Bridges announced his retirement from politics in March 2022. He wanted to spend more time with his family and explore new opportunities. His decision to retire was partly due to a serious liver injury his son Harry had in December 2021. His retirement became official on 6 May 2022.

After Parliament

After leaving Parliament, Simon Bridges moved to Auckland in 2022. He became the CEO and spokesperson for the Auckland Business Chamber. He also started a podcast called Generally Famous with Stuff in August 2022.

On 11 March 2024, Simon Bridges was appointed as a member and chairperson of the New Zealand Transport Agency Board for three years.

Personal Life

Simon Bridges grew up in a Christian home and has been a Christian since he was young. He met his wife, Natalie, who is a public relations consultant from Britain, while she was studying at the University of Oxford. They have two sons, born in 2012 and 2014, and a daughter, born in 2017. The family lived in Matua, Tauranga.

Simon Bridges' sister, Rachel Trimble, married National MP Simon O'Connor in December 2016.

Images for kids

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  Simon Bridges speaking at an election event in 2011

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  Simon Bridges, as Transport Minister, opens a cycle route in Palmerston North