Richard Prebble
Columnist, former cabinet minister and ACT Party leader.
Every election one sees the bizarre, but Christopher Luxon’s actions are inexplicable.
I saw on TV Luxon campaigning in Epsom with Paul Goldsmith. Goldsmith was claiming he would be a good electorate MP. I laughed.
A friend of Goldsmith’s told me that Paul has often said how lucky he is not to be an electorate MP. Being National’s flag bearer in Epsom he gets a high list place, no one expects him to win, campaign seriously or do constituency work.
I have been both an electorate MP and a list MP. There is no comparison.
As an electorate MP, I once examined my diary and realised that between mid-January and when parliament rose for Christmas, I had just one day off without an official or constituency engagement.
I recall a taxi driver knocking on my door during Christmas dinner.
“I have a passenger with a real emergency,” said the driver. “I told him that you are the only MP I know who is available 24/7.”
It was a passport issue. I knew the emergency telephone number to fix it.
Goldsmith is campaigning for the electorate because, on current polling, National is winning no list MPs, and he is out of parliament.
But why is Luxon campaigning with him?
And why has Luxon also campaigned to win back Tāmaki from ACT’s James Christmas?
Under MMP, electorate seats are filled first. If National wins two extra electorates, then that is two list places gone.
Who are two list candidates ahead of Goldsmith?
Nicola Willis and Chris Bishop. Both possible challengers for the leadership.
Maybe Christopher Luxon’s campaigning for Epsom and Tāmaki is not bizarre.
This article was originally published by I’ve Been Thinking.
