Labour's incumbent Finance Minister Grant Robertson has been downgraded by big business leaders, while National's finance spokeswoman Nicola Willis has risen in their ranks.
Video / Alyse Wright
Former Air New Zealand CEO Christopher Luxon is still relatively new to politics. He entered Parliament in 2020 and became the National Party leader in 2021; the party’s fifth leader in five years.
Not having a history in politics helped Luxon unite what had become a fractious caucus plaguedby infighting.
You might expect New Zealand’s business leaders to warm to Luxon, he is, after all, one of their own.
He speaks their language. Yet while there is support for the man, it’s not without reservations.
The Herald’s Mood of the Boardroom CEOs’ survey asked respondents to rank Luxon’s leadership in the last parliamentary term on a scale of one to five where one is “not impressive” and five is “very impressive”.
The weighted average of responses was 3.3/5, which can be read as “impressive but not overly so”.
Few respondents, a mere three per cent, ranked Luxon as “not impressive” while only seven per cent marked his performance as “very impressive”; 12 per cent rated him 2/5, 42 per cent 3/5 and 33 per cent 4/5.
National Party leader Christopher Luxon tries his hand pulling a pint at the White Swan Country Hotel in Greytown. Photo / Claire Trevett
Luxon’s lack of political experience is on some commenter’s minds.
Deloitte chairman Thomas Pippos makes this point saying Luxon is “very much still a work in progress from a political leadership perspective”.
An energy sector CEO also describes him as a work in progress, but says he is progressing.
Stephen Jacobi of Jacobi Consulting goes a little further saying he is: “… untested. Comes across as glib”.
Several business leaders praise the way he united his party.
One professional director says: “he has united the party very effectively” while a communications sector leader expands on this thought.
“He took an in-fighting rabble of MPs and brought them together under one banner — a very difficult feat to achieve — just look at the current government.”
Matthew Cockram, CEO of Cooper and Company says: “He has done very well exerting control over caucus.
“He has done well in the face of a hostile media. In government he is to prove himself.
“I am optimistic his management skills and economic instincts are what we need for the country — in that it has essentially become a turnaround project”.
There are more critical views. Jarden managing director Silvana Schenone points out Luxon is “not strong with the women’s vote”.
An industrial CEO notes he is: “Too corporate, no real connection”.
Anne Gaze, founder and CEO of Campus Link Foundation says: “He has his 100 days. Labour has tanked so much of New Zealand. National will secure votes not deserved, but from those disillusioned by Labour’s appalling outcomes.”
The Herald asked respondents if Luxon has forged a cohesive government-in-waiting. A clear majority, 57 per cent say “Yes”, while 13 per cent say “No”.
National Party leader Christopher Luxon milking a goat at Oete Goat farm south of Auckland. Photo / Claire Trevett
Almost a third of them, 30 per cent, say they are “Unsure”.
Mainfreight director Don Braid speaks for this last group when he says: “That’s the issue isn’t it? We have no idea if they are capable or not.” Contact Energy CEO Michael Fuge answers the question succinctly with a single word: “…just”.
Peter Reidy from Kiwirail says: “It’s tight, on message pre-election. The narrative needs to shift from what’s going to be repealed to An Ambitious Vision for Aotearoa New Zealand that we can be proud of.”
Sam Stubbs, the co-founder and managing director of Simplicity says we will soon know: “After so many years on the bench, the proof will be in the pudding.
“Any government will have some very tough decisions to make early on. The real test lies in being honest in admitting the problems, and having an adult conversation with the electorate that any solutions will be hard to find and take both time, money and sacrifice from all of us.”
Has Chris Luxon forged a cohesive Government in waiting?
