Christopher Luxon remains the prime minister, and he’s moved some of his conservative allies into pole position.
It can’t be good coming to work every other week suspecting your underlings are actively plotting your downfall. Spare a thought for prime minister (as of time of writing) Christopher Luxon, who failed to get away with holding a Sunday meeting with his kitchen cabinet without the media having something to say about it. And spare a thought for the journalists in the press gallery, where the collective blood pressure is now constantly at 180mm/Hg and above.
Parliament’s Tuesday morning caucus runs saw National ministers battered on their way in and out of the caucus room by the fourth estate vultures. But despite the halls buzzing with rumours all day, as usual, nothing eventuated. Luxon has won immunity in another episode of Survivor: New Zealand Government Edition.
In the meantime, there’s something more pressing that the government could focus on: the ongoing fuel crisis. After taking a backseat role in the crisis response and letting finance minister Nicola Willis (and, in a way, Rodney Wayne) front it instead, Luxon took the lead at Monday’s post-cabinet press conference to tell the country that she’ll be right. For now, at least.
During Tuesday’s question time, the fuel crisis still dominated the conversation. And while the journalists have been battling Luxon, New Zealand First has been battling Labour over the closure of Marsden Point’s oil refinery – albeit four years after the fact. With fuel prices now rivalling the cost of butter, it’s not a bad idea to try to put the blame for the country’s shoddy fuel stocks onto someone else.
“It may seem contradictory that I be the purveyor of truth and righteousness,” began Shane Jones as he tried to argue the last Labour government was responsible for the closure, before he was cut off by speaker Gerry Brownlee. We’ve already discussed the cabinet paper you’re talking about, Brownlee reminded him, and it doesn’t say what you say it does: considering a paper isn’t the same as approving it.
Following question time, Winston Peters held court in the committee of the whole. His bill to ban greyhound racing is edging ever closer to a tick on the to-do list, and the whole process was going smoothly until Act decided to pipe up and pull its support. Act MP Cameron Luxton implored that an “olive leaf” might be needed between the government and greyhound racers in the form of financial compensation, which was rejected. Luxton might just be keeping the whole olive branch for when Act needs to kiss and make up with NZ First at the election.
By Wednesday, the coup rumours had cooled down and been replaced with whispers of reshuffle predictions. The day’s question time saw some nice tag-teaming on supplementaries from all four in the Te Pāti Māori caucus, and the usual bickering between Hipkins and Luxon. Many have dubbed the government’s fuel crisis response its “Covid moment”, but the government wants to put one clear distinction out there: unlike the sixth Labour government, this coalition isn’t so keen on blowing the “cash bazooka” to save the day.
“We’re not going to repeat the mistakes of Covid,” Luxon told the House. “The mistakes of keeping people alive?” suggested a voice from the Labour bench.
Afterwards, during general debate, Jones reflected on the significance of April 1. “The fools are still sitting over there,” he declared with his eyes set on the opposition benches. They’re fooling themselves that they’re not responsible for the fuel crisis, he claimed, and fooling themselves for not taking responsibility for the closure of Marsden Point.
“Shane,” Brownlee began, and for some reason decided not to finish the thought. Green MP Julie Anne Genter tried to cut through the spin from her bench, but it was no use. It’s like bringing a push bike to a motorcycle race; once the exhaust pipe blows and the wheels burn rubber, there’s no way you’re taking the lead.
Later in the evening, there was an Easter miracle: the House passed Labour MP Kieran McAnulty’s amendment to the Sale and Supply of Alcohol Bill, which would allow premises already open on Good Friday, Easter Sunday, Anzac Day morning and Christmas to sell alcohol. The debate revealed some more friction within the coalition: Act MPs were heckling the coalition MPs who were taking a personal stand to condemn the bill, bickering away on their shared benches. It made for some awkward expressions on that side of the House, but it gave McAnulty something to smile about.
On Thursday morning, Luxon’s cabinet reshuffle raised some eyebrows. As well as elevating backbenchers Cameron Brewer and Mike Butterick to ministers outside cabinet, bringing Penny Simmonds (as tertiary education minister) and Chris Penk (the new defence and space minister) into cabinet and giving not-quite-Māori minister Paul Goldsmith the public service and Pacific peoples portfolios, Chris Bishop was forced to make a compromise, sacrificing his role as campaign chair (now Simeon Brown) and taking on the role of attorney general.
It brought back the rumours of a rift between Bishop and his leader, but Luxon assured the media crowd in the Beehive Theatrette that it was all good, nothing to see here, there are posi-vibes all around. Phew. Luxon in the very least will be feeling cosier in his position, having managed to keep his highly coveted prime minister portfolio, and having elevated members of his party’s more conservative side to prime positions.
