I can tell you for a fact that senior National Party ministers believe Luxon can’t continue in the job. MPs are actively discussing whether to pull the pin and replace him. If they do, the most likely successor is Chris Bishop. But—and this is crucial—they haven’t decided to do it yet.
Why? Because it’s risky. Rolling a sitting Prime Minister has only happened once before, with Jim Bolger, and that didn’t end well. MPs know that sticking with Luxon might pay off if the economy improves next year. Better economic conditions could lift National’s polling and save seats currently at risk.
But there’s a flip side: if the polls don’t recover, Luxon’s unpopularity could drag National down further. Like it or not, modern elections are presidential in style—voters focus on who they want as Prime Minister. Jacinda Ardern boosted Labour’s vote in 2017. Luxon is part of why National’s vote has fallen.
Would Chris Bishop do better? Maybe. But it’s a guess. He could also do worse. And the instability of rolling a sitting PM could make things even worse for National.
So MPs face two high-risk options: stick with an unpopular leader or gamble on an unproven one. It’s a call I wouldn’t want to make—but they’re making it right now. It may never happen, but trust me: the talk is real.
Heather du Plessis-Allan is a journalist and commentator who hosts Newstalk ZB's Drive show.
8 comments:
Bishop - certainly very competent - once told an electorate meeting that "noone is interested in Maorification issues " - though he had received many questions on this matter. Let us really hope he has woken up to the reality of voters' concern.
Luxon will never be forgotten for his amazing remark on the ACT TP Bill: " We will spike it. There is nothing in it that I like."
So clearly he is not committed to an equal citizenship.
NZ doesn't need or want Luxon as PM.
He has deliberately failed to follow through on his mandate to eliminate the Maorication of NZ.
He has to go, and sooner is not too late - before Christmas and a total reset in the New Year.
Then ask why he has so deliberately let down the people of NZ ?
What is it within him that will not / can not see the continuation of the racist Ardern disaster ?
Taking a hard line risks pushing away the important group of centre voters who might feel uneasy about such a strict approach to diversity, equity, inclusion, and race relations. Luxon could end up shifting National further right, competing for the same culture war voters that New Zealand First and Act are already fighting over, while leaving the middle ground voters feeling ignored.
I’m not going to get into the fact that te reo Māori is one of the official languages here, or how places like Wales and Ireland have easily adopted dual-language signage across their roads, which helps preserve their Indigenous languages. What’s clear though, is that if something isn’t seen as part of the government’s “core business” of making a profit for landlords, banks, grocery monopolies, fossil fuel companies, or tobacco companies, then it’s just not a priority.
Don’t care at all for Luxon but he’s probably a good guy.
Chris “get boosted” Bishop on the other hand - who advocated door-to-door vaccinations can get bucked.
The Maorification issue and the associated relentless indoctrination with all things Maori is the 'irritant' that undermines all else. In other words, if this is not addressed head on and quickly then we can all forget any form of economic recovery or decent future. In all things there are two sides to any equation. Focus on the result, the right hand side gets one nowhere because it is the stuff on the left hand side that determines that on the right. a+b+x+y=z. In this case, we have the racist, apartheid, insidious maorification factors at play and these undermine progress on anything else. The point is that He Puapua is very much in play and active in NZ, by ignoring this fact, as our PM has done thus far is having the inevitable result. Swapping him out may get us nowhere better unless the racial issue is dealt with and we are ALL treated as being equal.
Luxon does have some good qualities, but its right his biggest failure is to see how much we are sick to death of the maorification of NZ. Not only is it not right ie, everyone is equal, but its also costing the country millions and millions for no benefit, most of the money goes to line the pockets of a few. STOP it !!!!! and you will save not just the country but your job
National knows why the public voted them to government. National with Luxon has ignored the message. Luxon is very capable at dumping Ministers when it suits. He is capable and is doing exactly what he wants at the same time ignoring the voters. I have no idea what his mission is. The only thing saving National from a total wipeout is Labour. Bishop for PM?. No thanks
National have no future with Luxon at the helm. He has failed to deliver what he led the public his party would do and the concern over the racial division of NZ into a bi-cultural state is a very real part of it. He just deliberately fails (along with the woke neo-Marxist msm) to read the room and/or is listening too much to his mentor, John Key.
Just consider the latest change to the Education Act, where their adopted legislation seeks 'equitable outcomes' for only one racially profiled student group. Nevermind such for all? (And, yes, "equitable outcomes" is a topic all in and of itself and like the undefined 'principles' should never have been legislated and provides just another potential Treaty claim in the offing?)
If there's one thing the majority of NZrs want, it's like what our Ocker friends from across the ditch used to say in their want for "... a fair suck on the sav." It encapsulates the aspiration of what life used to be 'down-under' and it is something Luxon clearly fails to grasp.
The sooner he's gone the better, and the Party might recover some votes.
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