Perspective with Andrew Dickens: The story of the scapegoat

So it's the story that swamped the country this week. And since I have not been on the radio really until today, this is my first, but also my last word about it.

Despite Christopher Luxon's win, there is obviously a significant part of his team that have little confidence in him. It's strongest amongst the backbenchers who can see their list seats evaporating, but it's also present in the front bench no matter what they say. And that is on the Prime Minister. Because all coups happen when MPs lose confidence in their leaders' messaging.

Choosing the CEO model with little ministerial workload, Christopher Luxon's only job for the National Party and the country is to sell the National Party policies and ideas that have been rustled up by his caucus. When the ones who have done the hard work see him floundering to sell these ideas and policies, they get grumpy and start thinking that they could do a better job. So it came down to a crisis meeting.

Chris Penk, the only one with the balls to face off with the Prime Minister. Now I don't think he wanted the Prime Minister's job. I think he might have wanted deputy to one of two people who I won't name here. But he was prepared to be the enabler, the catalyst, to get things started. But then the Prime Minister read the riot act and everyone folded. And say what you want about Christopher Luxon. In public he may be perceived as a clumsy doofus, but it appears that behind closed doors he reads a really good riot act. And that's what you learn at the top end of business.

So Chris was hoping, Chris Penk, too many Chrises, Chris Penk's hoping to be the catalyst for a main contender. Those contenders chickened out immediately once they saw the full force of Hurricane Luxton. Guess what? No Penk family Christmas card for those guys. And now I come to the scapegoating. Tom Coghlan and the media have been blamed for rusting this up. But all Tom did was report from the disaffected, who were National Party members. He would have got the word from at least two of them because that is what journalists do. But, you know, the messenger always gets blamed.

I call that lazy deflection. And then there's poor old Chris Penk. He must have known the risk and, you know, I don't think he cared. He either ended out in a stronger position or he had to leave. Now, Chris Pink is coming to the end of three terms when the great super deal kicks in. So for him, it was win-win. It was all or nothing and he doesn't care. He now leaves. Or in other words, escapes the cesspit and can get on with a more rewarding life. So all this was what it was. If it affects your vote, then that's your call. It didn't sway me whatsoever because I vote for the team and their policies, not the show ponies on the top.

But what I do know is the Prime Minister called a nationwide buster of all MPs and their staff in recess week, the week they went to their electorate and started stomping around doing some ground level campaigning. They lost two days of electioneering. That has to have an impact.

Andrew Dickens is a broadcaster with Newstalk ZB. - where this article was sourced.