Christopher Luxon’s Government on the defensive after a ragged start - Audrey Young

OPINION

This is a transcript of Audrey Young’s subscriber-only Premium Politics newsletter. To sign up, click on your profile at nzherald.co.nz and select ‘Newsletters’. For a step-by-step guide, click here.

Welcome to the Politics Briefing.

It is difficult to recall any new Government having to defend itself against so many hostile fronts so quickly.

Māori are organising a major show of resistance to the Government’s policy agenda. The health sector is outraged at the planned roll-back of smokefree measures to pay for tax cuts. Add to that the fact New Zealand is dragging its heels to support a better response by the World Health Organisation to a potential pandemic. The environment lobby is bracing itself for huge change in laws covering planning, oil and gas exploration, and management of freshwater and the media has been goaded into open hostility with Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters over claims they were “bribed” by a public interest journalism fund.

The ragged start the Government has had this week has given Labour in Opposition a more solid base from which to start than would normally be the case. The Government has a clear majority and a clear mandate. But because some of the controversial measures were barely debated or known about in the campaign, Opposition parties are on stronger ground.

Chris Hipkins announced his reshuffle this week and among the significant moves were to give Ayesha Verrall the public service as well as health portfolios, and to give Kieran McAnulty housing as well as shadow leader of the House. In those portfolios, they will be shadowing Nicola Willis and Chris Bishop respectively.

You can expect to see more Ayesha Verrall after Labour's reshuffle. Photo / Mark Mitchell

Expect to see a lot more of Verrall. The focus on the Government’s health measures and the looming cuts in the public service will give her quite a platform.

Christopher Luxon revealed the Government’s updated 100-day plan with 49 policies and held his first post-Cabinet press conference. He cut it short with many questions left unanswered, but it went for 34 minutes.

Luxon reminded us on social media yesterday that it has been only two years since he and Willis were elected leader and deputy leader of the National Party. And of course, he has been an MP for only three years. Despite the rollercoaster ride he has had, that is an incredible achievement by any measure.

Derek Cheng has done some great analysis on the rollback of smokefree measures and the 100-day plan.

Meanwhile, Winston Peters got straight down to serious work, delivering his first speech as Foreign Minister to a US business summit in Auckland and giving a clear steer of his direction of travel.

He had consulted Defence Minister Judith Collins beforehand and, as Thomas Coughlan reports, he gave a clear indication of the Government’s willingness to join Pillar II of the Aukus defence agreement which would cover non-nuclear technology.

“It’s something in which the Australians will look acutely at us on to see if we’re going to step up,” Peters said. “We’ve got to do more and pay more to be respected. I’m sorry but it’s the least they can expect of us.”

Labour was a lot more equivocal about it.

Quote unquote

Labour leader Chris Hipkins announcing the shadow cabinet line-up. Photo / Mark Mitchell

“The incoming Government across a range of areas seems to be dancing dangerously close to endorsing conspiracy theories.” Labour leader Chris Hipkins.

Micro quiz

Which electorates does the Green Party hold and who won the very first electorate for the Green Party?

Brickbat

Wellington city councillor Teri O’Neill who helped paste-up a protest poster featuring the three Coalition leaders in the shape of a penis. Puerile stuff, especially for an elected official.

Bouquet

Goes to Christopher Luxon who, before starting his first post-Cabinet press conference on Wednesday, went over to shake hands with the signer, Alan Wendt. Small gestures count.

Latest political news and views

‘Fiscal holes’: Forget fiscal holes. The incoming Finance Minister Nicola Willis has alleged her predecessor has left her “fiscal cliffs” down which she may tumble.

100 day plan: Prime Minister Christopher Luxon announced the first legislative item on the Government’s 100-day plan in his first post-Cabinet press conference.

Explainer: The Government has revealed its 100-day action plan, and in doing so the key differences from National’s original plan.

‘Dangerous’: Christopher Luxon faces pressure from Labour leader Chris Hipkins to rein in Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters over his false claims about media.

Smoking: Labour’s health spokeswoman Dr Ayesha Verrall has let rip at the Government over plans to scrap world-leading smoking regulations, accusing it of putting the interests of tobacco lobbyists over the health of New Zealanders.

Analysis: Putting tobacco lobbyists above the health of New Zealanders is how Labour leader Chris Hipkins framed one of the new priorities of the new Coalition Government - but is it that simplistic?

Firing line? Are Andrew Coster, Trevor Mallard, Adrian Orr in the firing line in National-Act-NZ First government?

Tensions soothed? Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has cooled his jets, expressing confidence in the man his party was “appalled” was reappointed Reserve Bank Governor.

Sub pact: The new Foreign Minister, Winston Peters, has made supportive remarks about the Aukus nuclear submarine deal, hinting the new Government might be keen to sign up to Pillar II of the deal.

Taking flight: Trade Minister Todd McClay has said he will get on a plane to India before Christmas to visit his counterpart.

‘Gang of thugs’: An NZ On Air board member has resigned after making a social media post calling new Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters’ attack on media independence “malicious”.

Bad behaviour: Winston Peters’ bad behaviour is overshadowing Christopher Luxon and David Seymour writes Audrey Young.

Court: Former Justice Minister Kiri Allan says she has pleaded not guilty to a charge of failing to accompany police on the night she crashed her car in Wellington because she wanted to test an apparent grey area in the law about the right to consult a lawyer.

Quiz answer: The Greens hold Auckland Central (Chloe Swarbrick), Wellington Central (Tamatha Paul), and Rongotai (Julie Anne Genter). The first electorate won by a Green MP was Coromandel, won by Jeanette Fitzsimons in 1999.

Audrey Young is the New Zealand Herald’s senior political correspondent. She was named Political Journalist of the Year at the Voyager Media Awards in 2023, 2020 and 2018.

For more political news and views, listen to On the Tiles, the Herald’s politics podcast.