Face of the Day

National’s campaign chair Simeon Brown has poured cold water on remarks by leader Christopher Luxon that suggested National was open to doing a deal with Opportunity after the election.

At a public meeting in Greymouth on Thursday, Luxon was reported by the Press as saying he would work with “whoever” he had to ensure a second term. Luxon’s office has since said he was talking about working with ACT and NZ First and that his ruling out of Opportunity still stood.

Luxon’s remarks appeared to refer to the controversy around deliberately splitting votes to trigger an overhang rather than ruling Opportunity in.

With most polls showing National would need the support of Opportunity to govern, this was interpreted as meaning Luxon was softening his months-old position of ruling out Opportunity from any post-election coalition.

Not so, said Brown this morning. Speaking to the Mike Hosking Breakfast on Newstalk ZB.

“No, I don’t think so,” Brown said when asked if Opportunity was now in play.

“We’ve been very clear as the National Party, we’re not doing a deal with the Opportunity Party … we’ve been very clear we’ll work with ACT and NZ First, we’ve been very clear we’re not going to work with the Opportunity Party, that’s been our clear position that the prime minister has been saying.”

Brown said National was campaigning for a National Party vote and a vote for “anyone else” puts that at risk.

NZ Herald