Well another week and will we again see a week like the last one?

I hope not. Last week was torrid and brutal and disappointing.

After the developments in Jami-Lee Ross’ life over the weekend I was hoping to not have to consider the situation for a while but that’s not to be.

National leader Simon Bridges has today given a serve to his deputy leader Paula Bennett for opening the bedroom door on Jami-Lee Ross, saying he'd been involved in behaviour unbecoming of a married MP. He says it was an unprecedented circumstance and Bennett didn't get it all right.

This I found disingenuous. I thought Bridges and Bennett were a leadership team. And yet here we are on a Tuesday with the leader taking a step away from his deputy.

Just a few months ago the National Party was claiming it was the most unified and powerful opposition in the history but Simon Bridges’ statement today doesn’t back that up. Somehow I don’t recall John Key or Bill English distancing themselves from their deputies in this way.

To be a team means taking collective ownership of both your good times and bad.

There has also been criticism of party president Peter Goodfellow over the weekend, after it came out last week that he had helped cover up situations involving Jami Lee Ross and a woman in the past, even though the woman involved said she had no problem with the National Party’s actions. There’s plenty of talk that the President of the Party will be facing some questions tomorrow.

It seems to me that the National Party is looking back at last week without any feeling of pride in themselves. And that’s a good thing.

Hopefully, all politicians are thinking about the way they play the game.

Jami-Lee Ross’ tactics against Simon Bridges came from the same sort of playbook as Paula Bennett’s comments. It’s a playbook that has become normalised. Taped conversations. Personal details to throw shadow on claims. Too many politicians have taken the attitude that in the game of politics it’s more important to play the man and not the ball.

I think New Zealanders see through that. I think National has realised that the whole party comes out with damage not just the individuals at the centre of the stoush.

Just like in tramping, where you can only go as fast as the slowest person. Just like in any sport, you’re only as good as your weakest or most vulnerable team member.

It’s a horrible way to remember that to make this country great is going to take kindness, not a win at all costs competitive attitude.