Ryan Bridge: National needs Labour's support on its social media bill

Where is National's social media bill at?

We know Seymour doesn't like it. Winston is apparently has reservations with the wording, though that's only according to Stuff, rather than the man himself.

Labour might need to step in and save the day by supporting it from across the aisle.

In Australia, half the kids who were on socials are still on socials.

Here, there's no shortage of famous and big-money backers behind a ban. And Erica Stanford's been on the case.

Yesterday, Gemma McCaw was talking about it – she's part of the group wanting a ban.

Personally, I don't think social media is a net positive for society.

But I don't think we'll ever fully get rid of the thing completely.

Doesn't happen. Not with booze, not with cigarettes, and it won't with social media.

Which is not a reason not to do it, but it seems like National's having a very hard time getting this across the line.

Which Luxon won't like. It's one of his babies – like the India FTA.

He'll want to head to the polls with a bill under his belt, telling parents their kids will be saved from the perils of the internet.

So the ball looks to be in Hipkins' court. Does he help Luxon out and make himself look more Prime Ministerial and above-the-fray, as Key did with Helen Clark and the anti-smacking law?

That probably depends on the actual wording of the bill, which we haven't seen, because you can't back something that won't work or doesn't make sense, no matter how morally, or politically, worthy it might be.

Ryan Bridge is a New Zealand broadcaster who has worked on many current affairs television and radio shows. He currently hosts Newstalk ZB's Early Edition - where this article was sourced.