The National Party leader has completed a tour of New Zealand and says he's encouraged by the response.
National leader Simon Bridges speaks to a packed house at the Warkworth RSA. Photo: RNZ / Sarah Murphy
Simon Bridges has held over 70 public meetings across the country as part of his Connecting with Communities roadshow.
He says he's spoken to about 10,000 New Zealanders believes National is in sync with what people are thinking.
"I think what it's done is allowed me as leader of New Zealand's biggest party, the National Party, to think about how we develop policies that are relevant and in tune with the people who have come to the meetings, with New Zealand but it's also given me a confidence that we're on the right track and people agree fundamentally with our economic direction.
Mr Bridges says the economy, crime, housing, the environment, education and health were discussed at every meeting.
He says this is the first stage of preparing for the 2020 election, and the next stage will be to bring out some policy options, before rolling out specific plans.
He says people are worried about the Government's lack of leadership, and decisions that often look ill-thought out, chaotic and destructive.