National Party leader Simon Bridges has ruled out working with Winston Peters and New Zealand First if given the option after the election on September 19.
Bridges' messaging is all about bundling New Zealand First, Labour and the Greens together saying: "a vote for NZ First is a vote for Labour and the Greens."
"I don't believe we can work with NZ First and have a constructive trusting relationship," Bridges says.
"When National was negotiating in good faith with NZ First after the last election, its leader was suing key National MPs and staff. I don't trust NZ First and I don't believe New Zealanders can either."
He's following the lead of former National Prime Minister John Key, who ruled out working with Peters and NZ First in 2005 and 2008.
It had also reached a point where the relationship between Bridges and Peters was so sour it was impossible to see the two leaders working together constructively.
Peters has accused Bridges of being simple, he's ridiculed his accent and even called for his resignation. Just last week Peters said Bridges was guilty of bovine scatology - or BS - over claims about infrastructure investment.
ACT
Bridges is signalling another deal with ACT's David Seymour in Epsom saying, "National had a constructive working relationship with ACT while in Government.
"We would again be open to working with ACT."
Seymour says he welcomes Bridges' statement and will be campaigning hard to be elected for a third time.
"ACT and National worked together constructively in the last government and can do so again," he says in a statement.
"National recognises that it needs a strong ACT presence in the next Parliament in order to govern. The final polls of 2019 showed that ACT is likely to secure more MPs at the 2020 election and could make the difference between a Labour or a National government."
