Lux IN, Penk OUT as PM acts on leadership challenge

Summarised by Centrist

Christopher Luxon has survived a second confidence vote in four months.  

National MPs have backed Luxon to lead the party into the November 7 election, avoiding the disruption of a late leadership change but leaving National to prove it can offer the “strong stable government” it says voters should expect.

Luxon called National MPs to an urgent meeting in Wellington after leadership speculation intensified this week. After three hours behind closed doors, he emerged to say he had the “full support” of caucus.

“Our caucus is united, and it is determined to win this election,” Luxon said.

The apparent show of unity was followed hours later by Luxon removing Chris Penk from his ministerial portfolios, saying Penk had launched the leadership challenge that prompted the vote.

He was flanked by deputy leader Nicola Willis, party president Sylvia Wood, and senior ministers Chris Bishop, Erica Stanford and Mark Mitchell, all of whom had been mentioned as possible successors.

The display was intended to draw a line under the speculation. Luxon described National’s programme as positive and said the election choice was “crystal clear” between an opposition that wanted to take New Zealand backwards and a National government that would “fix the basics and build the future”.

But he spoke for less than a minute, took no questions, and left by saying the party was “going back to work”.

National’s caucus probably made the least risky choice available. A new leader 87 days before an election would have required agreement not only on the successor, but on the deputy leadership, Cabinet roles, campaign authority and the government’s relationship with ACT and New Zealand First.

No alternative ticket had been publicly confirmed.

Yet a second confidence vote also makes it harder for National to argue that leadership speculation is merely media invention. 

The party cannot campaign on stability while repeatedly having to stage public demonstrations of confidence in its leader.

The vote follows a difficult period for Luxon. He apologised to small-business leaders after saying some had a “negative view” of operating in a tough economy and displayed a “parent-child mentality” towards the government. 

He then surprised MPs by pledging on talkback radio to hold a referendum on MMP if National is re-elected, later apologising to caucus over the announcement.

Luxon has also faced criticism over his response to Winston Peters’ remarks to Green MP Ricardo Menéndez March, and his use of an NZDF aircraft to travel to Auckland after a National Party fundraiser.

The political backdrop remains difficult. National’s support has been weakened by sluggish economic growth, high unemployment and persistent cost pressures. 

A 1News-Verian poll released on Wednesday put Luxon’s preferred-prime-minister rating at 17%, ahead of Labour leader Chris Hipkins on 15%, but still low for an incumbent Prime Minister seeking a second term.

Luxon’s survival also came with an immediate consequence for Chris Penk. The Prime Minister said Penk had “launched a leadership challenge this week, which resulted in today’s confidence vote” and that this made his ministerial role “untenable”.

Penk had repeatedly denied involvement, saying he had confidence in Luxon and that reports linking him to calls for an Erica Stanford leadership bid were untrue.

Paul Goldsmith will take over Defence, Veterans, Space, GCSB and NZSIS. Simon Watts becomes Minister for Building and Construction.

Read more at The Guardian, RNZ, and Stuff

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