Prime Minister Christopher Luxon will stay in the job after securing the support of his National Party caucus for a second time in the space of less than four months.
Speaking to media after a meeting that stretched past two and a half hours, Luxon said there had been a caucus vote on his leadership and he had the “full support of MPs”.
“Our caucus is united, and it is determined to win this election – our focus is on National’s positive plan to fix the basics and to build the future, so that we realise the incredible potential that sits in this country.”
The November 7 poll was “an absolutely pivotal election with some very, very serious issues at stake in New Zealand”. The Government had made “tremendous progress” on rebuilding economic growth, financial discipline, and restoring law and order among other issues, but he acknowledged there was more work to do.
“Our plan to fix the basics and to build the future is a positive plan, a very positive plan to help New Zealand realise the innate potential that it has.”
The Prime Minister was flanked by National Party president Sylvia Wood, deputy leader Nicola Willis and a suite of senior MPs, including Erica Stanford and Chris Bishop – two names who were reportedly keen on challenging him for the top job.
Luxon left without answering questions from media. For now, it is unclear who called the confidence vote, what the margin of victory was, and what action – if any – he will take to stamp out the leaks that have blighted his leadership.
There was no mention of any disciplinary measures against Stanford or Bishop, or against Chris Penk who had been rumoured to either be doing the numbers for one of the challengers or eyeing a move himself.
The Prime Minister called an urgent caucus meeting in Wellington on Wednesday morning, following reports that rivals were preparing to challenge his leadership.
“It is my firm belief that division and disunity are a major distraction only 90 days out from the election,” Luxon said on X (formerly Twitter) when confirming the meeting on Tuesday. “I also believe this distraction is unfair to the New Zealand people, and dedicated National Party candidates, supporters and volunteers, when there is so much at stake.”
With a number of Cabinet ministers and potential challengers providing backing for the Prime Minister ahead of the meeting, Luxon has managed to survive yet another scare after calling and winning a confidence vote in April.
In a post on X after Luxon’s press conference, New Zealand First leader Winston Peters said the infighting was “much ado about nothing”.
“We should be focused on what New Zealanders gave us a mandate to do – turning this country around with policies and values that will give our country a better future – focusing on driving down the cost of living, cost of food, cost of power, cost of fuel, turning this economy around – and do it all with stability, experience, and hope.”
Hipkins on National’s ‘backstabbing and infighting’
Labour leader Chris Hipkins said National MPs were focused on fighting amongst themselves while New Zealanders were struggling to pay the bills.
“Backstabbing and infighting just means more delay and more distraction for New Zealand. If National can’t govern itself, how can New Zealanders trust it to govern the country?”
At a subsequent press conference, Hipkins said National was “in no fit state to provide the sort of leadership that the country needs”, and needed to be focused on key issues like the cost of living and unemployment.
“It’s very clear now, and it should be to all New Zealanders: the only party that can lead a strong, stable government that’s focused on the things that matter – the cost of living, jobs, health, and homes – is Labour.”
However, Hipkins still has unanswered questions about the shape of any future Labour-led government, and what policies it would adopt.
Last month, the Labour leader said his party would set out “a principled position on how we would negotiate post-election”, including the parties it would and wouldn’t be willing to work with and which policies would be on and off the table.
“I will say who we could and couldn’t talk to, and on what basis we would talk with other parties.”
However, after belatedly ruling out any deal with New Zealand First at the start of the week, Hipkins on Wednesday refused to confirm whether he was willing to form coalition with Opportunity or Te Pāti Māori, saying it was “up to the voters”.
“We’re very clear about who we can’t work with, and the rest is up to voters … if you’re voting for any of the three parties in government, you are voting for this Government to be re-elected.”
