Simon Bridges comments came in a social media posting after Monday's news there'd be no move to Alert Level 3 until next week.

National leader Simon Bridges has poured cold water on a claim there is a coup brewing among National Party MPs.

The AM Show aired rumours that deputy leader Paula Bennett and MP Mark Mitchell were considering an attempt at toppling Bridges.

Bridges, who has led National since February 2018, said such talk of a coup was not true, and had originated from a "left-wing blogger" - likely a reference to former NZ Herald columnist David Cormack, who has been talking up the rumour online.

"The blessing of being an Opposition leader is to have these sort of stories from time to time ... but just no," he said.

GETTY IMAGES National Party leader Simon Bridges said lockdown could have ended sooner. (file photo)

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"I just know where we're at, and I know the feedback we're getting and members of Parliament are getting."

Bridges said Mitchell was a "great friend and a colleague" who he spoke to everyday.

"I talk to Paula probably three or four times a day, there's simply nothing in any of this."

Stuff understands there was some disquiet within caucus over a wildly unpopular Facebook post from Bridges but has not spoken to any MPs plotting to topple Bridges.

Bennett herself tweeted that the rumours were not true.

I get people are bored & looking for entertainment but false speculating on the leadership of the Nat party has no factual basis. Can’t believe a tweet from a known stirring leftie is getting any pick up! Move on, we back Simon. We have a health crises & an economy to fix — Paula Bennett (@paulabennettmp) April 21, 2020

Bridges, in a interview on RNZ on Tuesday morning, struggled to get answers across during a round of questions from Morning Report host Susie Ferguson on Wednesday morning, who asked whether he would have ignored health advice and ended the country's lockdown earlier.

"The prime minister and other ministers have made quite clear that these things are a balance, and what worries me is the feedback that I get from many thousands of small business people who literally can't sleep at night and feel they are the sacrificial lamb," Bridges said.

Ferguson responded: "You're not addressing the specific point ... I'm asking about the medical advice given by the Ministry of Health, would you have ignored that advice?"

​Bridges said, as he understood it, the medical advice was to stay in lockdown for a fortnight.

"Can I please just answer Susie? These are important, critical issues and I think I should, as the prime minister does, get a bit of a run of it so I can explain my thinking on these things.

"I'm suggesting to you, as I said on the day, that the medicine is worse than the cure."

Fergusson interjected: "That doesn't actually make sense ... Mr Bridges you're still not addressing this question but we're going to move on."

Bridges was then questioned on his earlier Facebook post, which generated a lot of negative feedback, and whether he had the full support of his MPs.

"The thousands of emails I have received make clear that in this period New Zealanders do need a voice that makes clear things can be done quicker," he said.

"I don't go there, going through a list, or some such, I talk to my caucus colleagues ... I think this is a bit silly, with respect, Susie."

Bridges disputed Ferguson's claim to have seen internal polling that showed the party performing poorly.