National Leader Simon Bridges meets with Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison

Aussie Prime Minister Scott Morrison, left, met with National Leader Simon Bridges today in Sydney. Photo / Supplied

National Leader Simon Bridges is hoping to replicate the underdog success of the Australian Liberal Party and has met with Aussie Prime Minister Scott Morrison to pick his brain ahead of next year's election.

This comes as part of a whirlwind trip across the Tasman where the National Leader is meeting with key members of the Liberal Party's team.

Bridges met with Morrison in Sydney today, where the conversation, in part, centred on the Liberal's election victory in May.

Also, to partake in some "gentle sledging" ahead of a possible New Zealand versus Australia World Cup Final this Sunday.

Morrison and the Liberals defied expectations to win the Australian election.

They had been behind Labor in every national poll since the second half of 2017.

But Morrison's party won enough votes to form a coalition and remain in Government.

Bridges said he was hoping to replicate that success come election time next year.

National have been lagging behind Labour in recent polls – however, the most recent Colmar Brunton poll had National ahead slightly.

Although Bridges wouldn't say what tips Morrison personally gave him, he did say he was feeling "very upbeat" about next year's election.

"I was very interested in how they [The Liberal Party] structured their campaign and also around a lot of their digital strategy.

"They had a very clear focus on the economy and what that meant to Aussies' – or as Morrison calls them 'quiet Australians' – hip-pocket."

He said National's campaign would be very much aimed in the same direction and he would be targeting the quiet Kiwi voters.

National's focus would be, "just as Bill Clinton said, 'it's the economy stupid'," Bridges told the Herald.

"We had a strong campaign in 2017; but you've got to keep moving and evolving and there is no doubt what the Libs did was outstanding and we can do the same in 2020 here.

"As long as we're not complacent and we play to our strengths."

Before May's election, Bridges sent some National staff over to Australia to help with the campaign.

"We were pretty helpful, I think, to them with their win with some of our people from National."

He was open to the possibility of the Liberals returning the favour next year.