I envy the South Island's growth rate, but it presents a political puzzle

PremiumOpinionOpinion bySimon BridgesNZ Herald·20 Aug, 2026 05:00 PM7 mins to readSimon Bridges is the chief executive of the Auckland Business Chamber and was the leader of the National Party from 2018 to 2020. He has also served as the Minister for Transport, Economic Development and Communications. He has also worked as a senior Crown prosecutor in the Tauranga District and High Courts.‌Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Labour leader Chris Hipkins both spoke at last week's South Island Election Conference in Christchurch. Photo / Anna Heath

In my darker moments, when I am worrying about the end of the world, my mind quickly turns to the high desirability of owning a remote sheep station in the South Island with an even remoter underground bunker, purpose-built to survive the AI drones, the robot soldiers and World War