Prime Minister Christopher Luxon says he is confident he has the “full support of his caucus”, but he has not surveyed them, saying he does not need to.
Speaking to reporters in northern Waikato on Friday, Luxon batted away questions about his leadership, saying his job was “secure” amid renewed speculation about his position.
“I’m confident I have the numbers,” he said. “I talk to my caucus all the time. I’m very confident I have the full support of my caucus.”
Luxon said he was aware National had “work to do” to lift its support but stressed that recent public polling showed the coalition government being reinstated.
The prime minister also flatly denied a front page story in the NZ Herald, claiming that National’s whip Stuart Smith had attempted, but failed, to warn Luxon of flagging caucus support before Easter.
Luxon speaking to reporters on Friday.
Photo: RNZ / Kim Baker Wilson
Luxon said report that was “just wrong”.
“I was with Stuart Smith all of Tuesday in North Canterbury, travelling with him in his electorate all day,” he said. “It was not raised at all.”
RNZ has spoken to a Beehive source who contradicted Luxon, saying Smith did try to contact him about caucus concerns. The source said it was unclear how the next few days would play out.
The Herald story also cited multiple unnamed sources claiming that Luxon’s rivals were “likely” to make a move in the next fortnight.
In an earlier statement to RNZ, a spokesperson for Luxon said he was not expecting his leadership to be discussed at a caucus meeting on Tuesday and remained confident he would still be leader at the election.
Senior National MPs also lined up on Friday to douse the speculation that Luxon’s prime ministership was under threat.
A potential contender for the top job Chris Bishop flatly denied any suggestion of a coup, telling Newstalk ZB the reporting seemed to be based on rumours.
“I am not trying to upend the party. That is not happening,” he said. “There is no coup happening.”
Bishop said the news stories were “untidy and unhelpful”. He said he would not be the leader of National before the election.
Finance Minister and deputy leader of National Nicola Willis
Photo: RNZ / Samuel Rillstone
“Everyone wants us to do better. I think that is a statement of reality,” Bishop said. “People want us to do better and I know the prime minister wants us to do better as well.”
Speaking to Midday Report, National’s deputy Nicola Willis says she and her colleagues were entirely behind Luxon.
“I don’t think New Zealanders want to hear any of us distracted by this sort of thing,” Willis said.
“What they want to see us focused on is ensuring we have adequate fuel supply, that we’re taking good steps to strengthen our economy, that we’re mitigating the impact of very serious world events on them and their household budgets.”
Asked about National’s low polling, Willis said the best way to lose more support was to “get distracted by this sort of rubbish”.
“[Luxon] has my 100 percent support. He has from the day I became his deputy leader, and he will continue to have it, and I’m looking forward to us winning the election and him being the prime minister for a few years yet to come.”
Trade Minister Todd McClay
Photo: RNZ / Mark Papalii
Appearing on Morning Report, Cabinet minister Todd McClay said he put little faith in anonymous comments and was “1000 percent confident” Luxon would still be leading National into the election.
“He has my absolute undying support. He’s doing a very, very good job. Something on a front page with unnamed MPs just sounds like speculation and mischief,” McClay said.
“The caucus supports the prime minister. We are united.”
Mark Mitchell – a previous aspirant to the leadership – told Ryan Bridge on Herald NOW the reports were just people “making stuff up”.
He said his support for Luxon was “rock solid” and he was “100 percent behind him”.
“He is doing a bloody great job for us as a country. He has had tonnes thrown at him since we have come into government. As a minister, you couldn’t have asked for a better boss.”
Police Minister Mark Mitchell
Photo: RNZ / Mark Papalii
Mitchell said the only time he had spoken to Luxon about leadership was to encourage him.
Another senior minister Paul Goldsmith also rejected claims of a potential leadership coup, but acknowledged some in the caucus “potentially” might not be happy.
“But the process to deal with that is to talk in the caucus, not to do whispering. So I don’t know who’s whispering. I hope it is nobody serious,” he said.
Asked about nervous National backbenchers, Goldsmith offered the public advice: “Hold your nerve, knuckle down.”
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