This week represents a turning point in coalition dynamics not seen before in any coalition Government. But National was justified in its response. <\/p>\n
For too long, Peters has behaved more as a political commentator, critiquing his partners, rather than a coalition partner with boundaries. <\/p>\n
He protests his innocence with a twinkle in his eye by claiming he wasn\u2019t criticising, just answering a journalist\u2019s questions.<\/p>\n
National has given him too much of a free run and it has done itself no good at all. It has been bleeding support to Peters\u2019 New Zealand First Party.<\/p>\n
Peters shows the utmost discipline when it comes to criticising United States President Donald Trump but can\u2019t contain himself when it comes to Luxon. <\/p>\n
The most stabilising answer Peters gave yesterday was to say that a change of leader in National would not have meant the collapse of the coalition. However, his criticism of Luxon\u2019s handling of the matter has only served to drag out the issue for several more days.<\/p>\n
And, as per usual, the media has been made the convenient scapegoat.<\/p>\n
Following the Helen Clark playbook, or not?<\/p>\n
So, when did Luxon decide to move his own confidence motion? Perhaps he was listening to Heather du Plessis-Allan\u2019s Drive show on Monday when her guests on The Huddle were commentators Trish Sherson and Josie Pagani.<\/p>\n
Sherson was fizzing about having just seen the play Helen Clark in Six Outfits in Auckland and recounting the part of the play about when a delegation of MPs came to see Clark in 1996 to ask her to step down. She refused and stared them down by insisting on a leadership ballot at caucus, which she won.<\/p>\n
But it didn\u2019t happen like that. As Clark confirmed to me this morning, the play took dramatic licence. \u201cMy approach when confronted was to tell the delegation to go to the caucus and move a motion if they wanted me to go. None did.\u201d<\/p>\n
Of course, unlike Luxon\u2019s dilemma now, Clark was in Opposition, not leading the Government. It all ended well for Clark. <\/p>\n
But it didn\u2019t end well for Simon Bridges when he was being undermined by rivals in 2020. He confronted them with the \u201cput up or shut up\u201d response. They put up, and he was shut up.<\/p>\n
National gets some passion<\/p>\n
Then PM-elect Christopher Luxon at Auckland’s Diwali Festival in Aotea Square in 2023. Photo \/ Dean Purcell<\/p>\n
After such momentous events in National this week, it is difficult not to see every great performance by a senior minister through a lens of potential leadership prospect. <\/p>\n
Deputy leader and Wellington liberal Nicola Willis was first up for National in yesterday\u2019s general debate, followed by campaign chairman and Auckland conservative Simeon Brown. And they made quite a team. <\/p>\n
Great speakers \u2013 clear messages and full of fight. Very possibly a combination that could win over the caucus if the polls force emergency measures to be taken before the election.<\/p>\n
But Luxon himself showed some fire in his belly at his post-Cabinet press conference on Monday when confronted with Shane Jones\u2019 comments about a free trade deal with India meaning a \u201cbutter chicken tsunami\u201d. Short of accusing Jones of race-baiting, it was a strong response from the heart.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat I\u2019d say to you is that our Indian community has made a tremendous contribution to New Zealand,\u201d Luxon said. <\/p>\n
\u201cThey\u2019ve left their home, their culture, their friends, their family. They\u2019ve come here. They\u2019ve worked incredibly hard, taken one, two or three jobs in order to get a deposit for a house or for a business.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey are an outstanding role model for the rest of New Zealanders to follow because they have ambition, they have aspiration, and they work really hard, and I celebrate the Indian community. I\u2019m very proud of the Indian Kiwi community that\u2019s here. <\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m typically at many different events over the course of any given weekend with them … [New Zealand is] an infinitely better place economically, socially, culturally, because of the contribution of immigrants.\u201d<\/p>\n
Labour this morning has finally announced it will support the free trade agreement<\/a> that has been negotiated with India.<\/p>\n Green Party puzzle<\/p>\n One of the biggest puzzles in the Green Party final membership-ranked list released yesterday is why Steve Abel, who is among the most able Green MPs, is ranked so low at No 12 that he is on the cusp of re-election at current polling. No 12 is down three places from his 2023 position.<\/p>\n Lawrence Xu-Nan is a big winner, jumping seven places to No 8, as well as Francisco Hernandez, up six to No 10. Scott Willis and Mike Davidson would struggle to be re-elected at No 15 and No 20 respectively. See the full list in Adam Pearse\u2019s story here<\/a>.<\/p>\n By the way<\/p>\n \u2022 On the tiles: We occasionally lapse into jargon in our reporting, forgetting that our readers don\u2019t necessarily know Parliament like we do. So consider this a public service announcement. When you see that a minister was \u201con the tiles\u201d when they said something, as was the case with Willis this week, it does not mean she was in her cups, but that she was speaking from the black and white tiles in Parliament\u2019s foyer.<\/p>\n \u2022 Notable selections: James Christmas has been selected as the Act candidate in T\u0101maki<\/a>. Former Federated Farmers president Katie Milne is standing for National in West Coast. <\/p>\n \u2022 Pre-election period: The Secretary of Cabinet, Rachel Hayward, kindly got in touch last week after reading my item<\/a> on Government appointments being crammed in before the six-month pre-election period. She pointed out that the pre-election period is generally regarded as three months, not six, when restraint is shown in significant appointments. It says so in the Cabinet Manual. Thank you, Rachel.<\/p>\n \u2022 Anzac Day in Queensland: Willis will be spending Anzac Day on Saturday in the Rankin, Brisbane, electorate of her Australian counterpart, Jim Chalmers. She will be there for the annual Australia-New Zealand meeting of Treasurer and Finance Minister. <\/p>\n Quote unquote<\/p>\n \u201cHe has, for want of a better word, an anti-immigrant sort of bias in his party and his constituency and his belief system. We don\u2019t buy that.\u201d \u2013 Luxon on Peters and New Zealand First (The Country).<\/p>\n \u201cI am the original immigrant, okay? So how can we be anti-immigrant?\u201d \u2013 Peters responds.<\/p>\n Micro quiz<\/p>\n Who is National\u2019s deputy whip and what is her electorate? (Answer at the bottom of this article.)<\/p>\n Brickbat<\/p>\n Goes to National chief whip Stuart Smith, who appears to have ended up pleasing no one with his role<\/a> in the National Party leadership shemozzle and whose statements this week have been made through the PM\u2019s office or with a PM\u2019s minder at his side.<\/p>\n Bouquet<\/p>\n Goes to Labour for finally supporting the free trade agreement negotiated with India \u2013 and yes, the Government should have consulted Labour a lot earlier in the process, given that New Zealand First opposes it. <\/p>\n This week\u2019s top headlines<\/p>\n Coalition tension: Christopher Luxon fires up at Winston Peters \u2013 NZ First \u2018responsible for Jacinda Ardern\u2019<\/a><\/p>\n Leadership speculation: The furious five \u2013 National MPs \u2018outraged\u2019 over claim they were leaking about PM<\/a><\/p>\n India-NZ FTA: Chris Hipkins confirms Labour will support India free trade deal<\/a><\/p>\n Fuel update: Dip in stock levels normal, MBIE says<\/a><\/p>\n Leadership speculation: National whip stands by denial he tried to contact Christopher Luxon over flagging support<\/a><\/p>\n Opinion: Christopher Luxon fires his shot \u2013 can he save his leadership? \u2013 Thomas Coughlan<\/a><\/p>\n Confidence vote: Winston Peters says he would have advised Christopher Luxon against caucus confidence vote<\/a><\/p>\n Greens\u2019 ranking: Green Party releases final candidate list<\/a><\/p>\n Confidence vote: Christopher Luxon remains National leader after confidence vote in caucus<\/a><\/p>\n Willis vs Hipkins: \u2018You know exactly what you were meaning\u2019: Nicola Willis demands apology after Chris Hipkins\u2019 \u2018medical help\u2019 jibe<\/a><\/p>\nNational chief whip Stuart Smith taking questions from reporters on his way to the House for Question Time yesterday. Photo \/ Mark Mitchell<\/p>\n