Labour leader Hipkins began the debate, declaring the Government was in “complete disarray” and had been occupied “fighting about their own jobs” instead of addressing key issues like the cost of living and unemployment.
National leader Christopher Luxon announcing the result of the party’s caucus vote. Stanford is standing behind Luxon. Photo / Mark Mitchell
He questioned how Luxon’s claim his caucus was united could be true if hours later, Penk was sacked, and why some MPs, including Stanford, didn’t express confidence in Luxon’s leadership until after the meeting.
“No one is going to believe that.”
Hipkins honed in on Stanford, who faced speculation she was a leadership contender as well as Chris Bishop, by joking that it was “pure coincidence” her staff had gathered ahead of the caucus vote being revealed.
He concluded by listing comments from Luxon in recent years, including in 2023 saying New Zealand was a “wet, whiny, inward-looking country” and more recently when he apologised after saying small businesses held a negative view and had a parent-child relationship with the Government.
Hipkins also claimed Luxon had told Auckland business leaders that his backbenchers were “no better than a bunch of Air New Zealand middle managers”. The Herald has approached Luxon’s office for a response.
“Listening to Christopher Luxon, you can’t help but think he hates this country and everybody in it,” Hipkins said.
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon wasn’t fazed by Paul Goldsmith missing the defence meeting. Photo / Mark Mitchell
National’s response was led by senior MP and campaign chairman Simeon Brown, who claimed Hipkins’ speech had been a chance to prove he could speak for 10 minutes without mentioning tax.
Brown skated over the topic of the debate, saying last week’s events had been “well-traversed”, Penk’s position as a minister had been “untenable” and his portfolios had been reallocated, using only two of his 10-minute slot.
“That is the end of the matter, thank you very much.”
MPs from across the House were also able to have their say during the debate.
Act MP Simon Court used his time to laud Penk’s legacy as a minister and a local MP, adding that Penk’s withdrawal from Auckland’s Kaipara ki Mahurangi seat enabled voters to elect “Parliament’s only civil engineer”: himself, as he is standing for Act in the electorate.
Labour MP Kieran McAnulty was equally complimentary of Penk as he dismissed Luxon’s comments that Penk had challenged him alone.
“He was a stalking horse and everyone knows it.”
An outsider from National told the Herald on Wednesday Penk had been working on behalf of Stanford, a claim Stanford denies.
Despite many MPs stating their support for Luxon as leader as they arrived in Wellington on Tuesday, Stanford chose not to respond to questions at both the Auckland and Wellington airports whether she supported Luxon.
On Sunday, she said she backed Luxon “100%” and claimed she had said so “a million times”. Stanford said she didn’t address questions at Wellington Airport because she was stressed by what she described as a “frenzied media mob” at Wellington Airport.
Media witnessed members of Stanford’s staff were among those waiting in Parliament’s Banquet Hall, which hosted Luxon’s press conference announcing the result of the confidence vote.
Erica Stanford denies she was involved in a leadership challenge to roll Christopher Luxon as National leader. Photo / Mark Mitchell
Stanford earlier today said she had discovered yesterday some of her “departmental staff” had had a “nosey-in” while on a lunch break. Stanford stressed they worked as part of her education and immigration teams and were not political staff.
“They should not have done that, that was unfortunate.
“I’ve had a conversation with them about that … I just told them that it was likely that reporters were going to ask me or the Prime Minister why my departmental staff were milling around.”
Stanford, the MP for Auckland’s East Coast Bays electorate, strongly denied any of her supporters had travelled to Wellington ahead of the caucus meeting and said any report claiming that would be “completely false”.
Stanford also dismissed questions about whether she had discussed a leadership challenge with finance spokeswoman and deputy leader Nicola Willis, who also condemned the suggestion as “fantasy stuff”.
Luxon has insisted he is confident neither Stanford nor Bishop were involved in Penk launching a leadership challenge.
Speaking to Herald NOW this morning, New Zealand First leader Winston Peters doubted Penk was the only one involved.
“I’ve been in politics for a long time but for the first time I saw a one-man coup … if you can believe that,” Peters said, laughing.
Adam Pearse is the Deputy Political Editor and part of the NZ Herald’s Press Gallery team based at Parliament in Wellington. He has worked for NZME since 2018, reporting for the Northern Advocate in Whangārei and the Herald in Auckland.