Former prime minister Jim Bolger says the "disappointing" National Party has to reimagine capitalism because social inequality is pushing countries towards revolution.
Bolger, a National MP for 26 years and New Zealand's prime minister from 1990 to 1997, said the party needs a visionary leader who can articulate new ideas.
He told Q+A he was appalled at the National Party's 2020 general election result and rancorous events in recent days, which included last week's leadership spill and the end of Judith Collins' leadership.
"Disappointing is a very gentle way of putting it," Bolger told the TV One show in a wide-ranging interview in which he voiced concerns about rising inequality and decried an obsession with GDP statistics.
Bolger said National's next leader must have in themselves the capacity to work with others, especially as coalitions are the norm in New Zealand.