Simon Bridges insists he has "always had a high opinion" of National MP Maureen Pugh despite once describing her as "f**king useless" in a leaked recording.
Bridges, National leader, joined Pugh on Sunday as thousands of West Coasters marched against the Government's policies on mining, agriculture, fishing, forestry and energy.
Bridges and Pugh, a West Coast-based list MP, were there to support the group of protesters who oppose policies such as a potential ban on new mining on conservation land.
The West Coast electorate is currently held by Agriculture Minister and Labour MP Damien O'Connor, who didn't show up to the rally, disappointing some attendees.
O'Connor said he wasn't able to attend due to prior commitments.
Bridges told Magic Talk that despite the electorate traditionally being held by Labour, he thinks National could win it next year, pointing to Pugh who "calls it like she sees it".
"She will be a straight up, clear advocate for the West Coast, and that's what they want," Bridges told Magic Talk on Monday.
Pugh ran against O'Connor for the West Coast-Tasman electorate at the 2017 general election, picking up just over 34 percent of votes against O'Connor's almost 50 percent.
She previously served as the first female Mayor of the Westland District, and following Sir Bill English's resignation from Parliament in March 2018, she was declared a list MP for National.
It was just a few months later when former National MP Jami-Lee Ross released a secret recording of Bridges from June that year, in which the National leader could be heard describing Pugh as "f**king useless".
Soon after the audio was released in October last year, Bridges said he'd met with Pugh to apologise in person for the offensive comments.
Bridges told reporters at the time he didn't mean what he said about Pugh, and praised the work she'd done for her district.
He reiterated that message on Monday, telling Magic Talk his comments "were not an accurate reflection of my feelings".
Pugh forgave Bridges at the time, tweeting she was "disappointed" but had "accepted" her boss's apology. She then accused Ross of deliberately releasing the recording to "embarrass" her.
Pugh's mother June Brigg described Bridges at the time as a "dumb arse", and said to call her daughter useless was "insulting and a lie".
Setting that awkward history aside, Bridges suggested National has a good chance of winning the West Coast-Tasman seat in 2020 with Pugh connecting with locals on the issues they're concerned about.
"I think there is a real opportunity for the National Party," he told Magic Talk. "You've got Damien O'Connor, who's become more of an advocate for the Beehive than he has for the people of West Coast."
Pugh copped negative feedback on Twitter however for a response in which she suggested New Zealand has a thousand years' worth of coal reserves.
"We have another 1000 years' of reserves so we'll have come up with an alternative," Pugh wrote, after being asked about coal mining.
"Simon, this MP is doing more harm to your party than you are," one Twitter user said. "Did neither of you see the #climatestrike in the media?"
Newshub has contacted Pugh for clarification.
Of any general electorate in 2013, West Coast-Tasman had the highest proportion of people in the mining industry. The agriculture, forestry and fishing industry employed the largest share of the workforce.
Among the concerns raised by protesters on Sunday was the declined application for a new mine in Buller and the Governments' freshwater action plan.
Rally organiser Peter Haddock told Newshub the community feels silenced.
