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Home / Rotorua Daily Post

Election 2023: Christopher Luxon proves he’s in Te Puke by holding up the Te Puke Times

Adam Pearse
By Adam Pearse
Deputy Political Editor·Bay of Plenty Times·
27 Sep, 2023 10:08 PM3 mins to read

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Focus Live: Act announces landlords and tenants policy
Act's David Seymour announces landlords and tenants policy. Video / NZ Herald
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      Act's David Seymour announces landlords and tenants policy. Video / NZ Herald
      NOW PLAYING • Focus Live: Act announces landlords and tenants policy
      Act's David Seymour announces landlords and tenants policy. Video / NZ Herald

      Christopher Luxon has boarded his big blue campaign bus, yet to be officially named, as he travels east along the Bay of Plenty coast today.

      The National Party leader’s bus tour to Whakatāne stopped off in Te Puke with supporters and he took an opportunity to prove he was there by holding today’s Te Puke Times paper.

      The town made headlines last year when a video posted to Luxon’s Facebook page suggested he was in Te Puke when he was actually in Hawaii on holiday.

      Landing in Tauranga this morning after last night’s leaders’ debate, Luxon chatted briefly with a few people in the airport and handed out tickets to media for his bus ride to Whakatāne.

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      Chris Luxon’s bus tour to Whakatāne stopped off in Te Puke, where he took an opportunity to prove he was there by holding today’s local Te Puke Times paper. Photo  / Mike Scott
      Chris Luxon’s bus tour to Whakatāne stopped off in Te Puke, where he took an opportunity to prove he was there by holding today’s local Te Puke Times paper. Photo / Mike Scott

      One told him the assessment by some media commentators that Labour’s Chris Hipkins won last night’s televised leaders debate was rubbish, while another believed the public would see through the commentary and deem Luxon the winner.

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      The bus, almost full of local candidates and other party members, then made its brief stop in Te Puke.

      A team of about 60 National supporters waving party signs welcomed the bus on arrival.

      Chris Luxon lands in Tauranga and chats to airport patrons.  Photo / Mike Scott
      Chris Luxon lands in Tauranga and chats to airport patrons. Photo / Mike Scott

      National’s Bay of Plenty candidate Tom Rutherford was enthusiastic with megaphone in hand, urging the crowd to chant “party vote National” as Luxon exited the bus.

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      Not seeing much success, Rutherford changed tack and began chanting part of National’s slogan “back on track”.

      Barely anyone joined him. Tauranga candidate Sam Uffindell gave a half-hearted attempt initially but did not continue.

      Perhaps reading the room, Rutherford began chanting “back on the bus”.

      Christopher Luxon on board his campaign bus stopped at road works near Te Puke.   Photo / Mike Scott
      Christopher Luxon on board his campaign bus stopped at road works near Te Puke. Photo / Mike Scott

      The National bus was forced to stop for about 10 minutes at some roadworks east of Te Puke, where only one lane of traffic was allowed.

      Luxon took the opportunity to chat with those on board.

      ”This is why we need new roads, right?” Luxon said with a depressed tone.

      “Imagine getting stuck in this every day.”

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      28 September, 08:06 am
      ‘Everything’s at stake’ for Māori in upcoming election, Kelvin Davis warns

      Davis said that if a National-led coalition were elected, it would probably remove references to the Treaty of Waitangi from legislation, which would be a major setback for Māori rights.

      Davis made the comments in an interview with TeAoNews.co.nz. He warned of devastating consequences for Māori if National’s coalition partner Act was successful in redefining Te Tiriti and putting it to a referendum.

      “If they do away with rangatiratanga, two things happen,” Davis said. “They lump Māori in with every other minority in the country. They say, ‘you know, there’s nothing special about tangata whenua, you’re just the same as everyone else.’”

      Read more here:

      ‘Everything’s at stake’ for Māori in upcoming election, Kelvin Davis warns
      NZ Herald
      A high-stakes scenario looms over the Treaty of Waitangi, according to Davis.
      Pinned
      28 September, 06:24 am
      Seymour supports guidance, longer debate on proposed Treaty referendum

      Act leader David Seymour says he would recommend that Parliament take longer debating definitions of the Treaty of Waitangi principles, a policy that is central to his party’s campaign.

      He also supported seeking guidance ahead of initiating that legislation and holding a referendum in the hope it would safeguard the public debate from the racist rhetoric Seymour accepts the topic can prompt.

      That guidance was unlikely to come from iwi leaders, according to Seymour, who claimed the National Iwi Chairs Forum was “not interested” in discussing a potential referendum on the Treaty principles.

      Read more here:

      Election 2023: Seymour supports guidance, longer debate on proposed Treaty referendum
      NZ Herald
      National, Act's likely coalition partner, doesn't support having a referendum.
      Pinned
      28 September, 04:42 am
      On the Campaign: Inside the latest leaders' debate and the Parliament protest

      Listen to the latest episode of On the Campaign for analysis on the latest leaders' debate from Media Insider Shayne Currie - including which moment sparked a bad reaction in the room - and Wellington reporter Melissa Nightingale on what happened - or didn't - at the Brian Tamaki-led protest today.

      Pinned
      28 September, 03:46 am
      Hipkins ‘angry’ at National’s ‘race-baiting’ - says Māori have most to lose

      Labour leader Chris Hipkins has accused Christopher Luxon of “race-baiting” for votes - one of two paths he says politicians from traditional political parties have taken at elections.

      Hipkins made the comments in a passionate scene-setting speech in Kawakawa today to a predominately Māori audience, where he he described those pathways as “race-baiting” or avoiding the issue.

      “It’s depressing the options have been race-baiting or just keeping quiet.”

      Read more here: 

      Hipkins ‘angry’ at National’s ‘race-baiting’ - says Māori have most to lose
      NZ Herald
      Hipkins says he refuses to stay silent on the issue and will stand up for Māori rights.
      Pinned
      28 September, 01:51 am
      10 things National Party leader Christopher Luxon needs to know about Winston Peters

      “I don’t know him,” National leader Christopher Luxon said, when asked if he thought NZ First leader Winston Peters was good or bad for the country during the Newshub Leaders’ Debate on Wednesday night.

      He may soon have to get to know him a lot better: NZ First’s rise in the polls has meant in the NZ Herald’s Poll of Polls, the chances of National being able to form a government with Act alone have dropped to 45 per cent.

      The NZ Herald has compiled a handy guide of 10 things Luxon should know about Peters.

      Read the full story here:

      Getting to know Winston: 10 things Chris Luxon should know about Winston Peters
      NZ Herald
      National leader Chris Luxon says he doesn't know Winston Peters well. Here are 10 things.
      Pinned
      28 September, 12:44 am
      Winston Peters issues statement on Labour's 'dirt campaign'

      New Zealand First leader Winston Peters has backed Rangitata candidate Rob Ballantyne, saying if a quote by Ballantyne which Labour leader Chris Hipkins used in the Newshub debate related to the “disease of co-governance”, then he was “backing him to the hilt”.

      Read the full story here:

      Winston Peters accuses Labour of 'dirt campaign' amidst racism stoush
      NZ Herald
      Peters says his candidate Rob Ballantyne was referring to "the disease of co-governance".
      Pinned
      27 September, 11:58 pm
      Luxon on other topics

      "MMPs election are always close, so I don't want to be complacent."

      Luxon agreed that a bi-partisan approach to climate change is needed because it's a multi-generational issue.

      "I am prepared to stake my job on delivering low and middle income tax relief to New Zealanders and I am confident we will be able to raise tax from foreign home buyers," Luxon said.

      Pinned
      27 September, 11:58 pm
      'It's the right thing to do': Luxon stands by his bowel cancer commitment

      Luxon said he stands by his commitment on bowel cancer.

      "I have asked Dr Shane Reti to go and find and create a way to make sure how it could happen," he said.

      "It's the right thing to do"

      He said he would look at menopause lead but wants to see how it work first.

      Pinned
      27 September, 11:54 pm
      'Horrible': Luxon slams racist comment from NZ First MP's

      Luxon said NZ First MP's comments are racist and horrible and I don't condone them. 

      He said "I'm sure I can work with Winston Peters, but my preference is a National-Act government."

      "The New Zealand voters are never wrong and if NZ First comes back into parliament I will pick up the phone and work with him."

      Pinned
      27 September, 11:49 pm
      National says they will introduce their gang laws within first 100 days

      National Party leader Christopher Luxon said the party's new gang laws will be introduced within the first 100 days.

      Luxon said if you want to wear a gang patch in public, you will face consequences.

      "We haven't engaged with police in the forming of this policy."

      "We're going to make life difficult for the gangs. That's why they don't support us but they support the Labour Party," he said

      He said the idea that gangs are nice and responsible kiwis, but they have rights and responsibilities to be decent to their fellow Kiwis.

      Luxon said National is not race-bating.

      "Hipkins is a desperate guy in a desperate situation and has turned the debate negative," Luxon said.

      As he approached the back of the bus where media were sitting, he came across a Newstalk ZB reporter doing a live cross to the station’s morning Wellington show.

      Not wasting an opportunity for more publicity, Luxon gladly accepted the invitation to pop the reporter’s earphones in and chat with host Nick Mills for a few minutes.

      They spoke briefly about last night’s debate, with Luxon calling Hipkins “out of sorts” and “negative”.

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      He doubled down on a comment he made last night, confirming he would give Hipkins a hug if the Labour leader wanted one.

      After leaving the call, Luxon said to one of his supporters about the roadworks: “Only another 10 minutes to wait.”

      No sooner were the words out of his mouth, the light turned green and the bus rolled on.

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