National MPs will be challenged on their perspective of race relations at the first reunion of the caucus this year. Leader Christopher Luxon told political editor Jo Moir he expects it will be uncomfortable for some of his MPs
The National Party caucus has gathered in Queenstown for the next two days to carve out a path for how to be competitive at the 2023 election.
Speaking to Newsroom on the eve of the retreat, Luxon said he plans to make his expectations for the caucus very clear in his conversations with them and has organised speakers who he hopes will stimulate ideas and have his colleagues thinking from a different perspective.
Former British Prime Minister David Cameron was set to open the retreat, live from his London home, but after contracting Covid-19 his close political friend and former chancellor of the exchequer George Osborne agreed to fill in.
On Tuesday, businesswoman and respected Māori leader Traci Houpapa will provide insights into building relationships with whānau and iwi, and outline where she thinks the party has been going wrong.
She will be followed by former All Black coach Steve Hansen, who will speak about how to build a team.
The party’s position on some Māori kaupapa has caused controversy in recent years, including claims the Government is being “separatist” in its pursuit of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.
Luxon told Newsroom the party's plans to get rid of the Māori Health Authority, which is set to be implemented this year, remain unchanged for now.
“That’s the starting point, but that’s the question I want them to go away and think about very deeply," he said.
“Traci will be giving her view on Māoridom and where the National Party sits in respect of some of that. I’m trying to make sure we hear all perspectives.’’
“It will make people uncomfortable. But if they don’t hear a different perspective, all they hear is the same echo chamber of what their own experiences have been."
Luxon doesn’t expect policy decisions to come out of the session with Houpapa, but he is hoping some constructive criticism and “building some curiosity” will help with making any changes in the future.
“We have got to start thinking about if we get to government, then you’re governing for all New Zealanders, so how are we going to start to think about some of those aspects.’’
“There’s a lot of thinking I want to get quite straight there,’’ Luxon said.
While it’s not about getting all 33 MPs on the same page, it is an opportunity to educate them in a way they perhaps haven’t experienced before.
“It will make people uncomfortable. But if they don’t hear a different perspective, all they hear is the same echo chamber of what their own experiences have been.
“Traci is just a start, it might fail tremendously, it may not be well received, I don’t actually care,’’ Luxon said.
The caucus retreat comes on the back of a new poll result on Sunday night that saw Luxon’s net favourability beat that of Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, albeit with a large number of New Zealanders still undecided on National's new frontman.
The 1News Kantar Public poll delivered Luxon a net approval rating of +22 versus Ardern’s +15 – it’s a huge drop for Ardern, who at the peak of the pandemic response in May 2020 was +76.
The result has clearly energised Luxon as he heads into the retreat, who told Newsroom when the polls are up the caucus rallies and he expected that would help with turning the page on the poor culture that has existed up until now.
“There are seven quarters until the election, and we came here to win, not eat our lunch. It’s not fun sitting there hearing 65 votes in favour, 33 against, it’s not a great way to spend your life,’’Luxon said.
Internal polling is heavily relied on by parties, but Luxon says since coming into Parliament in October 2020, he hasn’t seen any.
“We were flying quite blind.’’
Luxon is on the hunt for a new internal polling partner and expects to have secured a contract in the near future.
