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RNZ News
13 hours ago
- Business
- RNZ News
Government policies working to fix economy, raise living standards, Luxon says
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon. Photo: RNZ / Mark Papalii Prime Minister Christopher Luxon says New Zealanders want the government to fix the economy, and the government's policies are working to do just that. It comes after a new political poll shows the government is struggling to make headway amidst the cost of living crisis. The Taxpayers Curia Opinion poll, has Labour ahead of National on 33.6 percent (up two) and National on 31.8 (down two). National's Coalition partners Act and New Zealand have also eased back slightly to 8.6 percent and 7.8 percent respectively. With the Greens on 9.8 and TPM on 3.2 it would - based on seats in parliament - mean a hung parliament. Prime Minister Christopher Luxon told Morning Report said people wanted the government to fix the economy. "I think New Zealanders understand if you take a step back, we've got the worst recession we have had in 30 years, we've had the Covid hangover with all the extra spending, we've actually good growth... in Q4 and Q1." He said big cities in New Zealand were struggling, while primary industry were showing signs of recovery. "It's certainly two speed, there certainly if you go to the South Island if you go to Hawke's Bay the primary sectors, they are all doing well, they are experiencing growth and coming out of the recession. "But if you are in Auckland and Wellington or the big cities, it's still really challenging." When ask about former National leader Simon Bridges' recent comments saying the government needed to be doing more, Luxon said progress would "come through to the big cities eventually". "I know it's difficult - particularly in our big cities... we've got to keep doing everything we can, but open to more things and discussing more things, but I think at this stage it's keep doing what we are doing". The Prime Minister confirmed the government were looking at joint ID's and driver licenses with Australia. "Yeah, I'd like to try and do everything we can to make everything as frictionless as we can," he said. Australia's Prime Minister Anthony Albanese recently met New Zealand's Prime Minister Christopher Luxon in Queenstown. Photo: RNZ/Katie Todd It's comes after Australia's Prime Minister Anthony Albanese met the Luxon in Queenstown for their annual Australia-New Zealand Leaders' Meeting. Despite the number of people moving to Australia, Luxon said New Zealand had been here before and could make a comeback. "We've gone through tough times in our economy and we have lost people to Australia and net migration, and we have built it back and we can and we are going to build it back." Luxon said the National government were focused on lifting New Zealand incomes to match Australia. He said New South Wales was currently 35 percent wealthier than New Zealand. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
RNZ News
01-08-2025
- Business
- RNZ News
Luxon to tell National faithful 'we're turning the corner'
National leader Christopher Luxon. Photo: RNZ / Nick Monro National Party members are gathering in Christchurch to cap off a week in which MPs attempted to steer public minds back towards the government's cost of living policies. Members will also farewell a party stalwart, with former president Peter Goodfellow retiring from National's board of directors. While leader Christopher Luxon will be speaking to the converted, he will be acutely aware the cost of living has become front of mind . Earlier this week, he was asked what his message to the party faithful would be. "Look, they know it's been a tough time, they know that we're turning the corner," Luxon said. "But really ... this country's got great potential and a great future ahead of it, and we've just got to keep working at it." National's deputy leader, Nicola Willis, said the conference would be focused on the steps the government was taking to make the country "an easier, better place to do business, to hire people, to create well paying jobs". "It is our job as a government not to moan about the things we can't control, but to focus on how we can make things better here in New Zealand, and we're very proud of the efforts we're making," she said. It is a stark contrast to this time last year, where Luxon's message ahead of the first conference since National returned to government was its focus on action and delivery . It shows just how much the cost of living crisis is lingering, and National has spent the week attempting to convince the public it has got it under control. With no announcement to make at this week's post-Cabinet press conference (bar the card surcharge ban, which had already been announced), Luxon and Willis gave a more than 10-minute address about the economy and cost of living, and actions the government had taken. "The most important thing we can do to make you better off is to double-down on our long-term economic plan," Luxon said. Willis used her speech to remind people of National's tax changes, FamilyBoost policy and a falling Official Cash Rate. It prompted Labour to accuse the government of "more spin than a front-load washing machine" . The latest Ipsos Issues Monitor has Labour in front of National as the party New Zealanders consider most able to handle the cost of living, despite releasing no substantive policy since the election. In 2023, National won 38.06 percent of the party vote, but since then has failed to poll above that. Recent polls have had National in the low thirties, with some showing the left bloc would have enough numbers to form a government. Other polls give the coalition the numbers to form a government, but only just. National party ministers will hold panels on health, education, law and order, agriculture, and the economy and cost of living. Members will also elect board positions. Long-serving board member and former party president Peter Goodfellow will be retiring from the board. Goodfellow was president from 2009 to 2022 before stepping down but remaining on the board. ANZCO Foods founder Sir Graeme Harrison, who joined the National board in 2021, has also decided to retire. Current board member Rachel Bird is up for re-election. Under National's constitution and rules, board members serve three years and then retire. They can then be eligible for re-election. Craig Carr, Andrew von Dadelszen and Edgar Wilson have also put their names forward for the vacancies. Party president Sylvia Wood and board members Jannita Pilisi, Stefan Sunde and David Ryan are not up for re-election, and so will remain on the board. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
