Prime Minister Christopher Luxon visited the Central Districts Field Days in Feilding, where he held a standup after having a go at driving excavators and taking part in a ride-on lawnmower race.
Video / Mark Mitchell
Little known fact: Prime Minister Christopher Luxon watches Demolition Down Under in the middle of the night.
It’s an Australian television show all about big machines tearing down even bigger structures, which Luxon says he sometimes watches in the wee hours when he returns from Wellington to his Auckland home.
So you can imagine his delight when he was presented with two pristine, 13-tonne Hitachi excavators to play with while at Central Districts Field Days in Feilding today.
Luxon was given two options - either the more straightforward proposition of using a bucket to dig a hole or really test himself and attempt to complete a Connect4 game using grapples to drop an enlarged game piece into the right slot.
It was expected and yet disappointing to see him choose the digging option - less entertaining but much less risky to the dozens keenly watching on.
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon had the controls of a digger during the Central Districts Field Days. Photo / Mark Mitchell
He had confessed his past experience on a digger had been “pretty scarring” and it showed through the intense concentration written across Luxon’s face as he inched the bucket into the ground to collect a scoop of dirt.
Luxon’s slow but successful digging venture must have filled him with confidence as he didn’t stop there, heading towards the Connect4 challenge.
It certainly raised the stakes and the stress levels of some communications staff in attendance who hurriedly ushered the press pack into the safe zone, worried the PM might send one of the game pieces flying their way.
But like his digging attempt, Luxon’s gradual movement of the excavator arm eventually paid off, albeit with a lot of assistance from those watching who helped the PM guide the game piece in the open slot to secure four-in-a-row.
“Did all right for a city boy,” Luxon later said of his efforts.
Christopher Luxon was eventually successful in completing four-in-a-row. Photo / Mark Mitchell
The customary walk-through and meet-and-greets followed, something Luxon became renowned for during the election campaign given his tendency to chat with anyone he came across - an unfortunate habit for his staff trying to keep to time.
High inflation was a common topic among those Luxon spoke to with farmers noting it was the chief issue impacting the agricultural sector.
Inflation of a different kind was raised during one interaction. A seemingly well-fed man commented to Luxon that he looked skinnier than he did on TV.
Luxon stumbled slightly at the man’s assessment before recovering and complimenting the man’s haircut - he was bald. Not as savage a burn given Luxon is also follicly challenged but a decent retort nonetheless.
In his conversation, Luxon often mentioned his Government’s achievements in its first 100 days, such as the introduction of fast-track consenting which many welcomed.
Luxon was happy to hear his cellphone ban was operating at Kiwitea School as he chatted with pupils. Photo / Mark Mitchell
One of those achievements wasn’t so warmly received. During a chat with primary school pupils from Kiwitea School, Luxon eagerly asked whether they had cellphones at school - something the Government banned.
The centrepiece of the day was the much-anticipated ride-on lawnmower race between Luxon, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay and local MP Suze Redmayne.
McClay and Redmayne wisely stayed away from their throttle as the starting flag was brandished, letting their leader take the advantage.
However, they might have regretted that as the formerly timid digger driver was fair fanging it around the circular track sitting atop his teal racemower.
The PM was generous with the throttle as he raced. Photo / Mark Mitchell
Fortunately for his staff’s stress levels, Luxon managed to stay on all four wheels and took the win by a length with McClay in second.
But the pain of inflation was on everyone’s minds as they approached the PM.
Luxon later accepted it was the sector’s “number one issue”, citing the increased interest payments farmers would be paying on sizeable mortgages.
He said yesterday’s news of a reduction in fresh fruit and vegetable prices was encouraging but Luxon indicated the road ahead wouldn’t be easy.
“We know that this year will be particularly tough and difficult.”
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon, alongside other members of his Government, accepted high inflation was hurting farmers. Photo / Mark Mitchell
Luxon finished his day by unveiling a new base for transportable home and classroom building company, Builtsmart.
To that point, the PM had managed to get through the day without any awkward conversations but a gem was reserved right at the end when, after he’d just slagged off the Ministry of Education’s management of property upgrade projects, the next people he greeted were members of the ministry’s property team.
Luxon didn’t let the opportunity pass him by. “See that classroom up there,” he said, pointing to one. “Pretty good.”
Adam Pearse is a political reporter in the NZ Herald Press Gallery team, based at Parliament. He has worked for NZME since 2018, covering sport and health for the Northern Advocate in Whangārei before moving to the NZ Herald in Auckland, covering Covid-19 and crime.
