Ryan Bridge: Luxon needs more than his base to win the election

People hate the media so hating on the media is not a bad strategy.

It's worked for Winston over many decades, although the bloke only needs 10% of people to like his style, most find it a bit abrasive.

As I've said previously, Ministers are the de-facto top brass in the caucus.

Perspective with Heather du Plessis-Allan: You've got to respect Chris Luxon's courage

Well, blow me down - they had a leadership vote in caucus, called by Chris Luxon himself, and he survived.

Good on him for doing that. That is exactly what I said he had to do if he wanted to shut this stuff down for the next week and a bit that Parliament has left to sit.

Ryan Bridge: Kiwis actually love Butter Chicken, Shane

Take away migrants from our economy and the thing pretty much falls apart.

This is not Europe, where they're overrun with migrant boats and expensive hotel bills to house the passengers.

This is not the US, where illegal migrants poured across a porous border.

Breaking Views Update: Week of 19.4.26

Wednesday April 22, 2026 

News:
The Government has quietly agreed to repeal several references to Treaty principles within laws.
The move – which wasn’t publicly announced – follows a National-NZ First coalition agreement to review Treaty provisions across 28 pieces of legislation.

“There are about 28 pieces of legislation that refer to the principles of the Treaty. About 10 of them are going to be dealt with through separate arrangements, like the Resource Management Act, which is going through separately ...

Mike's Minute: The issue the Govt promised to address

You’ll be aware of the Far North Council and their unelected Māori voting plan.

It is of course a scandal, but more importantly it is part of the overall de-Māorification of the economy this current Government, in one form or another, promised to address.

The fact this stuff is still going on proves they are failing.

JC: Where to From Here for National?

In 1961, Adam Wade in America and Tommy Steele in the UK both had hits with the song “The Writing on the Wall”. Sixty-five years later, those words should be ringing in Christopher Luxon’s ears but I don’t think they will. No leader likes the idea of losing the crown, particularly one with the self-belief that Luxon apparently holds. He has some similarities with disastrous UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer in terms of low poll ratings and a reluctance to do the obvious and resign as leader. We have now had too many polls saying much the same thing – showing that Luxon as leader of the party is not a winner with the public.

Guest Post: How to Change Your Polling Overnight

A Guest Post by Danny Bright on GoodOil.

An open letter to Christopher Luxon. Here, at no cost to the taxpayer, are some things that could change everything almost overnight. You don’t need all of them. Pick three. Stand behind them. Mean them. And watch the polls respond.

Dear Mr Luxon

It seems nobody in your administration is telling you, or you’re just not listening to them, so let me have a try.

Dr Bryce Edwards: Democracy Briefing - Luxon Vs the rebel MPs

Prime Minister Christopher Luxon goes into his weekly National Party Caucus meeting tomorrow to try to put an end to the insurgent rebellion against his leadership. He will walk out either still leader, or not. There is no longer a third option where everyone pretends nothing is happening.

It’s become clearer that there is now a rebel group of National MPs pushing for a change of leadership, and they’re clearly willing to keep leaking to the media about Luxon. It’s therefore ceased being credible for Luxon and his supporters to pretend the caucus is rock solidly behind him or that leadership speculation is a media invention.

David Harvey: Unawareness, Blind Ignorance and a Sense of Unreality

The Green Party Proposals for Electrification as an Answer to the Fuel Crisis

Mainstream Media reports that the Green Party will campaign on mass electrification for the election, saying the sun, wind, water and geothermal energy “don’t come through the Strait of Hormuz”.

Chloe Swarbrick with that wild-eyed enthusiasm that only she is capable of offers a simplistic solution. I use the word “simplistic” advisedly. She herself says the solution is simple.

She says:

James Fite: Who’s Running Iran? Confusion and Chaos in the Middle East

The US military seized an Iranian cargo ship on Sunday after it tried to defy President Donald Trump’s naval blockade. The development comes after government officials from Iran said Friday that the Strait of Hormuz was open - but the military said on Saturday it was closed. What’s going on over there, and who’s calling the shots? Confusion and chaos seem the order of the day in the Middle East, but Trump isn’t waiting for them to figure it out.

John MacDonald: The Greens' solar plan doesn't stack up

The Green Party wants us to electrify everything, saying the current fuel crisis is a good reason to produce as much of our own energy as possible.

Which, by the way, is kind of ironic don’t you think? The Greens wanting us to produce our own energy, but not wanting us to drill for oil and gas?

Nevertheless, that’s what co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick said in the party’s State of the Planet speech yesterday.

Bob Edlin: A Maori leader’s comment on government funding for marae...

It’s the recognition that matters – a Maori leader’s comment on government funding for marae

Aperahama Edwards, a bigwig among the Ngatiwai, has a reputation for being strong on flexing Maori muscle and championing Maori sovereignty.

He popped up at the Far North District Council meeting last week, to speak as Chair of the Ngātiwai Trust Board and Co-Chair of Te Kahu o Taonui.

He said he was delivering a clear message:

David Farrar: The BSA costs ten times more than the Media Council, per complaint

I saw a story about how the BSA only had 90 complaints in the last year, so less than two a week.

That got me interested in how this compares to the NZ Media Council who consider company’s about non-broadcasters. The data is stunning.

Tuesday April 21, 2026 

                    ⇩

Oceania Unfiltered with Aldebaran - BREAKING: Aussie Scientist ACCUSES Labor Government of Sabotaging Energy Security With Net Zero Lies

A climate scientist has just made a grave public accusation against Australia's Net Zero policies — and she's directly naming Albo's Labor government as responsible for the country's devastating fuel crisis. Anika Sweetland, a qualified climate scientist and former energy policy adviser to the Australian government, has come forward with a serious denouncement: the diesel and petrol shortages crippling Australia right now are not accidents. They're not due to the Iran conflict. They're the direct, deliberate result of Labor's Net Zero agenda.

Barrie Davis: Should I Stay or Should I Go?

If I stay there will be trouble /
If I go it will be double

Prime Minister, “Let’s face it, the country has been sliding downhill for the last 50 years regardless of which party runs Wellington” (Wayne Brown, here). The time has come when a substantial review is required. If you were to do that revision, the people of New Zealand would be more than grateful. You would take the next election easily. Here are the three necessary things to do:

Ryan Bridge: Too early for National leader switcharoos

It's too early to tell whether National should switch leaders.

We've had one poll last night with the left-bloc winning.

If that case were to eventuate, it probably wouldn't eventuate in the way it's being reported.

Perspective with Heather du Plessis-Allan: I can't tell you what's going to happen to Luxon tomorrow

Obviously, what everybody in politics is talking about today is what’s going to happen at the National Party caucus meeting in Wellington tomorrow morning, regarding the Prime Minister’s ongoing leadership.

Now, I can’t call it. I can’t tell you what’s going to happen.

JC:

The recent spat between the pope and the president of the United States highlights the role each should play in maintaining peace and stability in the world particularly in times of conflict. The state, as in the government, is obviously the lead player in a crisis. Some could, and would be within their rights to accuse the president of being the cause of the crisis. The church, while not directly involved, being the institution it is, has every right to have an opinion on the matter and it has every right to express that opinion in public.

Mike's Minute: National's internal stirrers need to quieten down

You know exactly how today is going to go.

The Prime Minister does the media rounds this morning. There will be no shortage of cortisol spiked journalists hanging off every word, double dissecting every pause and utterance—many of them desperate to write something disparaging about a man they’ve already decided they dislike.

I wouldn’t be Luxon for quids. He’s been dealt a sh*t hand.