Christopher Luxon is remaining as Aotearoa New Zealand Prime Minister.
The much-maligned PM’s leadership had been on the line all week, with an urgent in-person meeting with his National Party caucus held in Te Whanganui-a-Tara Wellington this morning.
In a remarkably brief press conference following the meeting, Luxon announced that he has the full support of the National caucus ahead of the election.
“There was a confidence vote in my leadership this morning at our caucus meeting and I have the full support of our caucus,” he told reporters.
“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 and that we set it up for our kids and our grandkids so they can do better than we can.”
After thanking the gathered reporters, he said, “We are going back to work.”
As Luxon made his announcement, key senior members of his caucus stood behind him, including Erica Stanford, who had been tipped as one of the big contenders to replace the PM if he stood down.
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After his short statement, Luxon left the press conference without fielding questions from reporters.
The New Zealand Herald reported on Monday that Luxon’s fellow National MPs had spent the day fielding “several” calls about a potential change of leadership ahead of the upcoming election.
Luxon took to social media yesterday to announce that he was calling his caucus to the capital for a crucial Wednesday meeting. His social media post also directly addressed the swirling rumours about his leadership.
“It is my firm belief that division and disunity are a major distraction only 90 days out from the election,” the departing PM wrote in the post.
“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.”
When he arrived in Wellington later that day, however, he seemed less confident. “Talk to you tomorrow… take care team,” he said to reporters.
Luxon’s leadership had been in trouble for a while. He previously called a confidence vote four months ago, which he survived at the time.
August has been a turbulent month for Luxon so far.
Before this week’s emergency meeting, he had to apologise to Rotorua Business Chamber leaders after he criticised them for relying on government too much; he was questioned as to why he didn’t more harshly reprimand Winston Peters after the Foreign Minister told Chinese-born MP Lawrence Xu-Nan to go back to his own country; and he was also questioned over his decision to fly home from a National party fundraising dinner on a Defence Force plane, on the same day the country’s unemployment record hit a record 11-year high.
