Fries with that? National leader Christopher Luxon's blast from the past at Maccas

NZ Herald

27 Oct, 2022 12:13 AM3 mins to read

Fries with that? National leader Christopher Luxon on the drive-thru. Photo / Pierre Nixon

National Party leader Christopher Luxon returned to his roots on Thursday, stopping in to do a short shift at the Merivale McDonalds he worked in when he was a school student in Christchurch.

The light-hearted publicity stunt was lost on Labour ministers, however, who noted McDonald's workers had supported the Fair Pay Agreements that came one step closer to being law overnight despite vehement National opposition.

Clad in a McDonald's red uniform shirt, Luxon had a go at the cheeseburgers, the icecream station and on the drive-through and later admitted his skills had slipped off a bit in the intervening 30 years.

Delivering his own performance review of himself, he said it was "a mixed performance." "I'm not sure I would have hired me, based on performance this morning."

"The ice cream was a bit ropey, the burgers slow, and the drive-thru is now like air traffic control. There's quite a bit going on in the earpiece."

Asked if McDonald's was a back-up option for him if politics did not pan out for him, he said, "No, we are putting all our eggs into one basket, which is to win next year."

Luxon said first jobs set people up for life: "You learn about teamwork, showing up on time and customer service."

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern's first steps into the labour market were also fast-food related: she famously worked at the fish and chip shop in Morrinsville - and returned for a visit after becoming Labour leader in 2017.

A fine head of hair: Christopher Luxon at McDonalds as a school student. Photo / Supplied

Luxon said the biggest change in himself since then was on top: "[It was] a fine head of hair, and now you'll notice it's missing."

Luxon didn't like the change in uniform since then much either – it had switched from a blue shirt to a red shirt. "I said to them before, if we are successful next year it would be great to see them back to blue again."

Acting Prime Minister Grant Robertson meanwhile inferred that might not be the case, in the House pointing out Luxon's McDonald's visit came the morning after the Fair Pay Agreements Bill passed.

Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Michael Wood said he'd met with McDonald's workers who were "extremely pleased" about the legislation passing.

"I would just hope that if [Luxon] did that, he actually had an open conversation with some of the low-wage and minimum-wage workers that he continues to oppose getting better pay and conditions."