Bob Edlin: Luxon speaks of “unity”.....

Luxon speaks of “unity” – but did the glue come from sacking Penk and how long will it last?

The term “United” generally means:

• Joined together as a group: It refers to a combination or amalgamation of entities or people. 

• In agreement and working together: It describes a state where individuals or groups share common goals or beliefs. 

• Formed from multiple states or countries: It can also refer to a political entity created from two or more states or countries, such as the United States.

In summary, “United” signifies unity, agreement, and the act of joining together.

A friend of PoO drew our attention to the meaning of the word “unity” after yesterday’s antics in the National Party caucus.

The beleagured PM bandied it after his remarkably brief post-caucus meeting.

Our Google search winkled out a TVOne report which focused on it –

1News
Luxon wins confidence vote, claims his caucus is united
PM Christopher Luxon has survived a confidence vote in his leadership at National’s caucus meeting this morning, declaring he has “full support” — only four….

20 hours ago

But TVOne editors perhaps quickly realised the frailty of Luxon’s “united” claim.

When we opened the link, we found a report headed –

PM wins leadership vote after challenge fails, Penk won’t seek re-election

This began –

PM Christopher Luxon has survived a confidence vote in his leadership at National’s caucus meeting this morning — then sacked newcomer Cabinet minister Chris Penk for launching a challenge against him, with the MP announcing tonight he’d also not seek re-election.

Further down, the report explained why “unity” had slipped into the earlier headline –

Luxon delivered his 76-second statement flanked by senior colleagues at the Banquet Hall, presenting a picture of unity as he confirmed he had survived the vote.
The Spinoff elaborated –

Appearing in parliament’s banquet hall alongside a squad of senior ministers, Luxon confirmed a vote was held but he had emerged with the “full support of our caucus”. The leader described his party as “united”, but walked off before his ministers could be asked a single question. Suffice to say, 76 seconds really isn’t enough time to get that message of unity across. Luxon may have won the confidence of his caucus, but that doesn’t mean he’s won the confidence of the public.

Whether Luxon has united his caucus simply by winning a vote and sacking Penk seems highly improbable.

The importance of him proving PoO wrong is explained in this report on whalesbook.com –

The immediate focus for observers will be how effectively the reshuffled cabinet manages its responsibilities in the lead-up to the November election. Political stability is essential for maintaining investor confidence in national economic policies. Market participants will likely watch for any shifts in government economic strategy or fiscal policy as the election date approaches. Additionally, public opinion polling and party unity will remain critical, as these factors will determine the government’s ability to implement its platform through to the end of the year.

Waatea Digital summed things up –

Luxon says his caucus is united.

Perhaps it was inside the room when the vote was taken.

But unity cannot simply be declared at a press conference.

Political unity is demonstrated by what happens afterwards…

Watch this space – or wait for the next caucus leak.

Bob Edlin is a veteran journalist and editor for the Point of Order blog HERE. - where this article was sourced.