“It’s game on.”
That’s the message from National Leader Christopher Luxon in his speech to MPs at the party’s caucus retreat in Queenstown.
[…] The retreat will focus on topics Luxon thinks will be important in the new year: The economy, Covid-19, and Maori.
[…] Luxon said centre-right parties worldwide faced a perception problem, as too many voters thought such parties were not compassionate.
[…] He told National MPs the party would not be successful unless it leaders got of the Wellington beltway and meaningfully engaged with voters.
[…] He reiterated how important he felt it was for centre-right parties to talk about issues other than GDP or related economic measures.
[…] On why the retreat was staged in Queenstown, he said the town typified current economic problems, as seen in its battered tourist and hospitality industry.
[…] “Lots of New Zealand’s doing it tough.”
He said Government spending was out of control and if the current trajectory continued, austerity measures would be necessary.
“The people that get hurt the most are the poor and vulnerable as a consequence.”
[…] Luxon said he was concerned about growing polarisation in the United States and other liberal democracies.
“I want to make sure we have civility in politics.”
Luxon said Government spending was up about 68 per cent in five years.
“At the end of the day, those borrowings have to be repaid.”
He said National wanted to invest in social initiatives, but not waste money.
[…] “I think the Government did a really good job in 2020…But 2021 was a shambles.”
[…] Luxon said the Government had ignored advice to get people “work-ready” and instead was funnelling more cash into a bloated, inefficient welfare system.
[…] Asked how he would get voters to associate National with environmental issues, he said New Zealand was falling behind meaningful renewable energy goals.
He said Labour had made “big sweeping declarations” but minimal progress on the environment.
On the Greens, he said: “I think only three of their ten MPs actually care about the environment.”
NZ Herald
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