Quick Hit: Luxon’s Loyalty Purge – The Ghost of 1997 Returns
Will Luxon double down on the attack against Winston, or will he be forced into a humiliating retreat to save the government?
National Party
NZ First in the Box Seat
If he could do the job as well as he handles foreign affairs then the country would indeed be better off. Who knows what the polls might throw up between now and the election but one thing is for certain, Winston and NZ First are on a roll.
Quick Hit: Luxon’s Unanimous Trap – How to Mislead Parliament in Two Easy Steps
Christopher Luxon’s press conference and parliament performance reveals how explaining is losing in politics.
Quick Hit: The Poll of Polls Says What Luxon Can’t Admit – Winston Is the Government
The Good Oil’s Poll of Polls reveals Labour leading at 35.2 per cent vs National’s 29.6 per cent. The coalition survives with just a one-seat majority – and it’s entirely dependent on Winston Peters.
Quick Hit: The Great Pivot – Winston’s Surge and the Luxon Slide
Winston Peters will continue to position NZ First as the ‘adults in the room’ Expect more ‘unnamed National sources’ briefing against Luxon in the coming weeks.
This Is a Warning for National
The move of National voters towards New Zealand First is following the same trend that’s underway in the UK and now Australia, where major parties are losing disillusioned supporters to parties that are promising to address their concerns.
Quick Hit: Luxon’s Bishop Move – Clever Tactics or Self-Inflicted Wound?
If National’s polling doesn’t improve by mid-year, the leadership question resurfaces – and Bishop will be perfectly positioned with his big policy portfolios and nothing to lose
How Low Do National Wish to Go
The aim should be not to win reliant on other factors but to win big yourself with policies that appeal to the majority of voters. In this regard National has some work to do.
National Reshuffle Shows Luxon Clearing the Decks for the Election
Luxon is trying to steady the ship before the election year proper begins. Whether this mix of promotions, sideways moves and quiet exits delivers the discipline and focus National needs remains to be seen.
Luxon Tries to Clip Bishop’s Wings but the Leadership Rumbles Have Already Started
The next few months will be critical. If the economy does not improve and the coalition keeps stumbling, the whispers in the National caucus will grow into open discontent.
Luxon’s Half-Hearted Slap at Bishop Changes Nothing
National needs to lift its game fast if it wants to avoid becoming a one-term government. So far the signs are not encouraging. The Easter poll will tell us more, but voters have seen enough half-arsed fixes to be sceptical.
National MPs meet, rumours fly, and Luxon starts sounding like Sir Humphrey
The cabinet reshuffle on Thursday will be spun as business as usual. Do not believe it for one second. The meetings, the leaks, the grumpiness in Auckland and the raw numbers in caucus tell their own story.
Luxon Fails Miserably: National Stuck With ‘Less Shit Than Labour’ Slogan
Voters are going to go into the election with National doing the same as it always does. They will tell voters that they are less shit than Labour. But are they?
Luxon Deludes Himself as National Slides Into Oblivion
Talk of a coup exists only in the feeble minds of legacy media. Luxon will hang on in quiet desperation, getting regular coaching from John Key, like he did last Friday, until Key nods at a proposed successor.
Luxon’s Popularity Takes a Nosedive in Leaked Poll
These poll ratings act like a boat anchor, holding National back from any real momentum. With an election looming later this year, Luxon’s personal unpopularity may well sink the party’s chances if they don’t address it sharpish.