For all her kindness and communication when she was Prime Minister, she would use those trips to Australia to give then–Prime Minister Scott Morrison a tongue-lashing—usually over the 501 deportees, which was pointless because the Aussies weren’t going to change their minds.
This weekend, though, was a bit of a love-in.
And that’s despite the fact that we’ve done something that could genuinely have upset the Aussies.
Because Nicola Willis has probably gone a bit too hard, having cracks at them for their capital gains tax changes in their budget—which they’re very sensitive about, because they’re copping huge blowback.
And yet…it was no drama.
Albanese wrote it off as cheekiness.
And then, instead of yet another trans-Tasman drama, he was cracking jokes with Luxon about Kiwi immigrants.
They were taking turns going first with the questions, and they were affirming each other—welcoming closer ties, strengthening shared resilience.
It’s turning into a bit of a cliché thing to say now, but Luxon is in his element overseas.
He sounded every bit the statesman—someone who has thought deeply about the degrading state of international affairs and what New Zealand needs to do to weather the coming storm.
And I thought, as I listened to him pitch how kick-ass Australia and New Zealand are going to be, that he was doing a better job of selling Australasia to the world than the Prime Minister of Australia was.
He’s a big-ideas guy—selling his country and his region and getting on with people is his party trick.
Isn’t that a better strategy, when you think about it, than always fighting with your only ally?
Heather du Plessis-Allan is a journalist and radio broadcaster who hosts Newstalk ZB's weekday Drive-Time Show – where this article was sourced.
10 comments:
Oh my goodness Du Plessis. You must want a Damehood. "I listened to [Luxon] pitch how kick-ass Australia & NZ are going to be .. He’s a big-ideas guy". NZ is caught in a dumbing down brain drain doom loop whereby the likes of ZB's DJs, the Initiative, KiwiBlog and a motley collection of lobbyists try to sell a worn out tired agenda, pretending its new. Whilst all the best kids I know at our schools & universities cant wait to leave NZ; to get away from this claustrophic lowest common denominator nonsense. Maybe Mr Marketing Man Luxon will invite you to his next big ideas cocktail party, Heather. The only worse party in town is Mr Depressing Auckland Lock Down Can't Manage Anything Hipkins. You may get to meet someone on his awful new List MP ranking of chums and networkers.
You are dead right Robert MacCulloch. He and Albonese are type cast. Aussie at least has a possible saviour in the wings but NZ hasn’t. It’s a tragedy.
Wot. Winston not NZ’s saviour?
Have to say that this is is complete drivel, and nearly choked on my coffee at: "He's a big ideas guy" when in reality he is a "no ideas guy". If he's at his best when overseas, perhaps best to send him as far away and for as long as possible!?
He's a marketing man, selling dreams quoting key phrases like "productivity and growth ” repeatedly. He means well, like Ardern, but I'm seeing no evidence of a real overhaul required to lift NZ out of the quicksand its in. Just the same old same old muddling along, using the salesman advertising quote "accentuate the positive eliminate the negative", simultaneously avoiding anything controversial or difficult.
None of which is helping us.
I see an unfortunate waste of space and I definitely do NOT see a leader.
For Rob Beechey (8:43 AM).
I hope you are not referring to Pauline Hanson as the possible Australian saviour. Hanson is a single issue politician if ever there was one.
I follow the Oz politics fairly closely and I cannot get any other impression than that she is unable to clearly articulate any issue other than borders and immigration.
The other impression I have is that the Liberal/National coalition is finally getting its act together but will need all of the next two years to bring about a change in the Australian mind-set. Wait for Hanson and her sidekick Barnaby Joyce to implode.
In response to Eamon Sloan’s comment. I stand by my criticism of Luxon and type cast him with Albonese and Starmer for that matter, in so much that they are blindly pursuing the same Net Zero fantasy and its destructive impact on our future for a start.
While Hanson’s party has made a commitment to follow Trump and break with the Paris Climate Accord, Luxon and McClay mischievously imbedded our commitment to the Accord plus his Govt’s commitment to He Pau Pau (UNDRIP) into his Indian FTA!
Luxon is a weak wokester and jokes around with Albanese because they have much in common. Luxon and the Nats have not undone many of Labour's policies. Luxon feels comfortable with Labour's policies.
For Rob Beechey
I am probably on the same page as you with regard to our Mr Luxon. I have taken to naming him as Mr Looks On because that is all he is good for. I don’t have any solutions. We have never been worse off and saying that is not a solution. I went off Mr Looks On in a big way after reading the snivelling grovelling Waitangi Day (2025) speech he gave to Ngai Tahu.
What am I voting for this year? Same as 2023. NZ First to continue in the present coalition. This time in the hope NZ First and ACT together will take some form of control. A forlorn hope maybe but I could not stomach a return of the Labour/Greens/Maori clown show.
About the UNDRIP clause in the India trade agreement. Is that why Peters was so anti over signing up to any agreement.
I’m with you Eamon Sloan.
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