‘Everything's negotiable, Christopher’: Seymour challenges Luxon over finance

Summarised by Centrist

ACT leader David Seymour has challenged Christopher Luxon's authority over the finance portfolio, declaring that National can no longer insist on keeping the position after losing some of its most senior ministers in Saturday's election.

The dispute follows the provisional defeat of Finance Minister Nicola Willis, Infrastructure Minister Chris Bishop and Defence Minister Paul Goldsmith. Outgoing Speaker Gerry Brownlee has also lost his seat.

Luxon has insisted that the finance portfolio must remain with National, describing the position as non-negotiable.

Seymour disagrees.

"Everything's negotiable, Christopher," he told the NZ Herald.

Seymour said National's insistence on retaining finance was "no longer tenable", arguing that ACT and NZ First ministers had demonstrated their competence during the previous government.

He suggested that either himself or NZ First's Shane Jones, both associate finance ministers, could take over the portfolio temporarily when Willis is required to step down.

Willis, Bishop and Goldsmith must resign their ministerial positions within 28 days of the election if they are not returned to Parliament.

Seymour has also expressed interest in becoming finance minister in the next government, although he says the direction of economic policy matters more than who holds the job.

Jones has avoided committing to a preferred candidate but warned Luxon against exaggerating National's bargaining strength.

Read more at Newstalk ZB | interest.co.nz

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