Video: Simon Bridges likes his portrayal as car salesman

National leader Simon Bridges doesn’t mind being portrayed as a used car salesman, which included a reference to electric cars.

He thinks the mocking advertisement about him from the Green Party is funny, but the Greens have since pulled the advert because members are unhappy about it.

The advert features an impersonation of Bridge’s heavy accent, and television included when referencing it a clip taken from an Auto Media Group video of associate transport minister Julie Anne Genter’s explanation of the Government’s ‘clean car’ plan at a VIA function.

The “Simon’s Imports” advert begins with footage of Bridges and the voice over saying, “Oh look, do you like cars, I like cars,” going on to mock Bridges’ climate change policy and low poll ratings.

“Prices are down, emissions are down, my polling is down,” it adds.

“Look, I love electric cars, but now the Government’s making them more affordable I’m just so angry.”

But the Greens have pulled the advert because they say it’s in poor taste and lowers the debate tone.

Bridges says the advert shows National’s attacks on the Government’s ‘feebate’ scheme in the ‘clean car’ proposals to lower emissions are working.

“The reality is, we’re holding the Government to account on their taxing of New Zealanders, they’re holding me to account on my accent,” Stuff reports.

Green Party co-leader James Shaw, who authorised the ad, says others hadn’t found the ad quite as funny.

“Yeah that was me,” Shaw says in response to a question on reddit AMA about who decided the video was a good idea. “We were trying to use satire to draw attention to the increasing use of misinformation and fear based ads in politics. It didn’t land well so we pulled it.”