Christopher Luxon, New Zealand Prime Minister 2023

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Forums › Politics › Christopher Luxon, New Zealand Prime Minister 2023

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#3443629 13-Dec-2025 14:36

https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/political/581742/christopher-luxon-mounts-leadership-defence-i-know-what-it-took-to-rebuild

Luxon has an interview with Radio New Zealand in the leadup to Christmas. This comment struck me as interesting:

Luxon said he was aware it had been "incredibly difficult and challenging for people".

"We were slow coming out of Covid, and they've walked straight into a recession by virtue of economic management being poor and I know people want it done faster and we're [going] as fast as we can."

Who is the "they" he's referring to? Labour?

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#3443692 13-Dec-2025 16:34

https://archive.ph/FtqTi

https://archive.ph/enfok

I haven't seen this mentioned here, but this relates to the B416 campaign, which basically bars anyone under 16 using social media (similar to the law recently enacted in Australia).

If you recognise the name Cecilia Robinson, it's because she had a hand in launching My Food Bag. However she is quite close to Luxon (as the first link shows) and then got an opinion piece in the Herald (second link) about how Australian teens are much safer now.

However she also has a hand in a company (Tend) that buys up local doctors practices and then closes them down, as per here:

https://www.reddit.com/r/nzpolitics/comments/1n6w6hn/this_is_cecilia_robinson_you_might_know_her_from/

I tend to agree with the first two posts here - IMO she is too close to people like Luxon, and it does smack of a conflict of interest. Ditto for Zuru as well.

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#3443693 13-Dec-2025 16:42

Just as well Labour's new interisland ferries will be arriving next year. Since the Luxon government cut the contract for the emergency tug, it was lucky the ferry was able to get going again under its own power.

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#3443803 13-Dec-2025 21:02

Ah yes, the ferry program that was simultaneously incredible value for money and how dare Willis dump it, but at the same time had the Kiwirail board on notice from Robertson because of how badly the costs had blown out and what a mess it was becoming. I guess it all depends on whether you're interested in scrutiny of public decisions or more interested in whether they make your favourite team look good, or even better, a team you don't like look bad - the actual coherence of it is secondary at that point anyway.

Robertson had already tasked ministries with finding something in the vicinity of 4% savings before the election. Dead set there was no way he was going to keep writing blank cheques for iRex. It would have been a chance to show a decisive hand and I'm 100% certain this would have been the outcome if it was Willis or Robertson.

Sorry but the ferry program that was going to blow out by $400m between the briefing to the incoming minister and the end of the same month as the briefing to the incoming minister would have been first on the chopping block if it meant not being able to pay for other policy areas or campaign promises. I can't think of an easier slam-dunk decision for a finance minister, regardless of who it would have been.

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#3443806 13-Dec-2025 21:31

Of all the hills to die on the ferries is the most bizarre. The whole project was a poorly planned shitshow.

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#3443828 14-Dec-2025 09:53

GV27:

Ah yes, the ferry program that was simultaneously incredible value for money and how dare Willis dump it, but at the same time had the Kiwirail board on notice from Robertson because of how badly the costs had blown out and what a mess it was becoming. I guess it all depends on whether you're interested in scrutiny of public decisions or more interested in whether they make your favourite team look good, or even better, a team you don't like look bad - the actual coherence of it is secondary at that point anyway.

Robertson had already tasked ministries with finding something in the vicinity of 4% savings before the election. Dead set there was no way he was going to keep writing blank cheques for iRex. It would have been a chance to show a decisive hand and I'm 100% certain this would have been the outcome if it was Willis or Robertson.

Sorry but the ferry program that was going to blow out by $400m between the briefing to the incoming minister and the end of the same month as the briefing to the incoming minister would have been first on the chopping block if it meant not being able to pay for other policy areas or campaign promises. I can't think of an easier slam-dunk decision for a finance minister, regardless of who it would have been.

Sure, but you can't escape the reality of ferries that keep breaking down and drifting for hours just by saying the replacement is expensive. If you're going to push the replacements out by years you have to cover the operations in the meantime. The Luxon government didn't just cancel the iRex ferries, they also cancelled the ocean-going tug that is the ambulance at the bottom of the strait designed to pick them up and drag them back to port so they don't smash on the rocks. Willis may have had an easy decision to cancel iRex, but she didn't think any further.

Worse still, they were told there would soon be no commercial vessels likely to be in the area that could assist just because they happened to be at the right place at the right time, but have decided to ignore the warnings anyway.

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#3443829 14-Dec-2025 09:55

Handle9:

Of all the hills to die on the ferries is the most bizarre. The whole project was a poorly planned shitshow.

I'm not going to die on it, but if one of them hits the rocks during a storm because the engine failed again and there's no tug to get to them first, someone else might.

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#3443836 14-Dec-2025 12:05

GV27:

Ah yes, the ferry program that was simultaneously incredible value for money and how dare Willis dump it, but at the same time had the Kiwirail board on notice from Robertson because of how badly the costs had blown out and what a mess it was becoming. I guess it all depends on whether you're interested in scrutiny of public decisions or more interested in whether they make your favourite team look good, or even better, a team you don't like look bad - the actual coherence of it is secondary at that point anyway.

Robertson had already tasked ministries with finding something in the vicinity of 4% savings before the election. Dead set there was no way he was going to keep writing blank cheques for iRex. It would have been a chance to show a decisive hand and I'm 100% certain this would have been the outcome if it was Willis or Robertson.

Sorry but the ferry program that was going to blow out by $400m between the briefing to the incoming minister and the end of the same month as the briefing to the incoming minister would have been first on the chopping block if it meant not being able to pay for other policy areas or campaign promises. I can't think of an easier slam-dunk decision for a finance minister, regardless of who it would have been.

Also, if going over budget was such a problem - and despite everything else, I do agree, it should have been handled better - then you'll love National's plan for water. Should Labour immediately repeal that the second they get into government?

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#3443837 14-Dec-2025 12:38

It’s incredible people are still attempting to defend Nicola on the ferry debacle… this explains it well: https://www.reddit.com/r/Wellington/s/N7xODFAQqb

How incompetent can you honestly be? Can you all agree that sorting the real cost blowout which was the port side infrastructure would have been better than cancelling ferries at massive cost then making a deal with the Chinese?

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#3443846 14-Dec-2025 14:08

https://www.1news.co.nz/2025/12/14/luxon-says-kiwis-very-clearly-see-economy-turning-defends-willis/

Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has painted an optimistic picture heading into election year, saying "hopeful" New Zealanders are telling him they "very clearly" see a strengthening economy.

That might be the case up Mr-I'm-wealthy-I'm-sorted's street, but I'm not getting the same vibe up the street I live on.

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#3443847 14-Dec-2025 14:10

quickymart:

https://www.1news.co.nz/2025/12/14/luxon-says-kiwis-very-clearly-see-economy-turning-defends-willis/

Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has painted an optimistic picture heading into election year, saying "hopeful" New Zealanders are telling him they "very clearly" see a strengthening economy.

That might be the case up Mr-I'm-wealthy-I'm-sorted's street, but I'm not getting the same vibe up the street I live on.

I think the "hopeful New Zealanders" are millionaires who are talking to him via Zoom, from Sydney or London.

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#3443956 14-Dec-2025 16:30

Either that or it will turn into a further source of tension within the ranks between Mr Seven Houses who obviously wants house prices to rise (as do the the landlords who currently control the party / are the biggest chunk of the vote) and the likes of Chris Bishop who wants them to fall.

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#3443965 14-Dec-2025 19:52

The idea that Luxon and Bishop are opposed or somehow represent 'boomers/landlords' and 'young people' respectively seems to have come from an interview with an economist combined with statements by Bishop and Luxon separated by several weeks. Personally I think it's almost total nonsense. Easily seen with a statement from Luxon on Friday praising people achieving rent reductions:

TVNZ: Luxon also reiterated Housing Minister Chris Bishop's call-out to renters, urging tenants to negotiate with landlords after hearing stories of people taking "$50 to $100 off a week". "If you're someone out there in the world today who's renting a house, I'd just say to you, go back to your landlord, renegotiate your rates," the PM said. "I've heard a lot of stories of New Zealanders who've done exactly that and taken $50 to $100 off a week off their rents, which is fantastic."

Luxon born 1970 and Bishop 1983. That is not even a generation of difference.

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#3444012 14-Dec-2025 20:25

I highly doubt my landlord will be deducting $50 a week off my rent, never mind $100. Who are these "positive New Zealanders" they're speaking to again? I'd love to meet just one. Do they even exist?

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#3444013 14-Dec-2025 20:32

Levels of stupid only seem from Orange stupid.

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