THREE KEY FACTS
- became 42nd Prime Minister in November 2023.
- He was elected to Parliament in October 2020.
- Luxon was the from 2012 to 2019.
As the year draws to an end spare a thought of what life must be like for Christopher Luxon.
This is a man who鈥檚 been in politics for just four years. To describe his rise to the top as meteoric would be an understatement. No one in modern political history has become Prime Minister with so little political experience.
The board room comes no where near the Cabinet office. For starters as the chief executive of Air New Zealand what Luxon said to his executive was essentially done.
In the Cabinet room anything he says is the subject of debate and frequently his view doesn鈥檛 always win the day. He鈥檚 had to learn to compromise big time.
Luxon isn鈥檛 your typical politician, let alone the leader of the country. For starters the demon drink has never got so much as a sniff from him. And he鈥檚 a Christian to boot.
Christopher Luxon on his first day at Parliament in October 2020 at his induction. Photo / Mark Mitchell
Almost 35 years ago when Jim Bolger became the Prime Minister, there was a feeling from some he鈥檇 never make it because he was a Catholic!
Luxon was advised when he was about to give his maiden speech to Parliament to leave out the Christian side of his life. He ignored the advice and went full-on about his beliefs. The public seemed to have liked it. It led to a healthy debate about Christianity and politics.
This man was pilloried by the media for having too many properties - he had seven. In recent months he鈥檚 sold three and again he鈥檚 been vilified for the profit he鈥檚 made without paying tax on it.
You鈥檇 surely be asking questions of a man with his professional, highly paid background, if he didn鈥檛 have investments. He was attacked, as if it was immoral, when he said on 九一星空无限talk ZB Drive a while ago 鈥渓et me be clear: I鈥檓 wealthy, I鈥檓, you know, sorted.鈥
It may have been clumsy but the quote was for some reason seen as the quote of the year in some quarters, as though he was removed from the pain of those who haven鈥檛 done as well as him are going through.
Of course he does, he didn鈥檛 enter politics with a blindfold. He did enter politics earning a fraction of what he was on as the airline boss! And he entered politics genuinely hoping that he could put the place back on track.
And he should be celebrated for that, not condemned.
It鈥檚 true, he entered politics to make a difference.
For those of us who knew him before he made the leap, they would appreciate he came into the job coveting the Prime Minister鈥檚 role. Never did he think though he鈥檇 achieve that in a few short years. But he should have, the National Party which he led just a year after signing on as an MP was a dog鈥檚 breakfast.
His leadership brought unity to the political wing of the party, putting it in the position it is today.
Winston Peters (left), Christopher Luxon (centre), and David Seymour (right) after signing their coalition agreement in 2023. Photo / Mark Mitchell
It鈥檚 a tougher job than any recent incumbent has had, dealing with the egos of those around him. He鈥檚 certainly done it with the old warhorse Winston Peters, dining at each other鈥檚 houses. He likes Peters despite the fact that he derailed the Government on the ferry deal.
Whatever the outcome, Peters will declare it as his victory and no one in the coalition will likely publicly disagree with him.
Act鈥檚 David Seymour is another kettle of fish, much more slippery even than Peters. He鈥檒l be deputy Prime Minister in May, just in time for Nicola Willis鈥 austere Budget. That鈥檒l be a significant coalition test for him.
So as Luxon packs his bags for the holidays with his family and friends, he can reflect on a stinker of a year, but one that he鈥檚 survived pretty well.
His ratings were never going to be high given the mess that he inherited, but in my making-it-against-all-odds book, he has to be my politician of the year.
Take your Radio, Podcasts and Music with you
Get the iHeart App
Get more of the radio, music and podcasts you love with the FREE iHeartRadio app. Scan the QR code to download now.
Download from the app stores
Stream unlimited music, thousands of radio stations and podcasts all in one app. iHeartRadio is easy to use and all FREE