'Shampoo bar': NZ First MP Shane Jones makes fun of National Leader Simon Bridges' hair

New Zealand First MP Shane Jones has taken a pot shot at National Leader Simon Bridges during a heated debate with Paula Bennett on TVNZ this morning. Photo / Breakfast

New Zealand First MP Shane Jones has taken a pot shot at National leader Simon Bridges during a heated debate with Paula Bennett on TVNZ this morning.

Talking to John Campbell, Jones said there was a lot of stake this year, with the election just months away, hinting that politicians will likely from "time to time go at each other".

But Jones then took the opportunity to throw a personal jab at Bridges making fun of his hair and accusing him of distraction tactics.

"Simon's arrived impersonating some sort of leader," Jones said while sitting next to National's deputy leader Bennett.

"I have to say Paula, when I looked at Simon yesterday he's obviously had training and that thing that he's got going on with his hair, mate, it looked from a shampoo bar or something ... he has to do something to distract.

"I doubt he'll actually be the leader by the time we get to election."

New Zealand First MP Shane Jones has taken a pot shot at National Leader Simon Bridges during a heated debate with Paula Bennett on TVNZ this morning. Photo / Breakfast

Jones' rant then led Bennett to interject, saying while she backs politicians getting "stuck in" to one another over policy, she doesn't believe the dialogue should be "nasty".

"Oh my goodness. That's the kind of rubbish, talking about someone's hair and what they look like and being distracting. I just worry we lose some of the robust.

"Of course we shouldn't be nasty like Shane just was.

"Let's give a damn about this country, let's have a contest of ideas and let's get a bit stuck in.

"We are fighting for the direction that we are going and that matters."