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Tova O’Brien is Stuff’s Chief Political Correspondent.
ANALYSIS: Welcome to the week of lasts for the 53rd Government of New Zealand.
It will be the last time the House sits, the last of the legislation passed, the last time the Chrises square off in Parliament, the last of the serious business of governing before the campaign circus truly begins – if you’ve seen Yellow Jackets, picture the scene they drink magic mushroom broth and the feeding frenzy and taste for blood sets in.
The ‘lasts’ started on Monday with Chris Hipkins’ final trudge up to the household fixture mockingly monikered ‘the podium of truth’ during the Covid years.
It’s his last time as Prime Minister of the 53rd Government, but Chris Hipkins is in denial that it may well be his last as Prime Minister – of any government.
ROBERT KITCHIN/Stuff
Prime Minister Chris Hipkins and Finance Minister Grant Robertson take to the podium for the last time in the 53rd Government of New Zealand
When asked by Stuff if he had considered, even in a quiet moment, that this might be his last time at the podium, the Prime Minister replied: “as I’ve indicated all along, I don’t have a plan B, I’m very much focused on winning.”
The Monday prior, Hipkins was using the podium to very, very, very, very, very clearly foreshadow his intent to rule out working with NZ First.
“I think any governing arrangement with Labour and New Zealand First after the election is a very, very, very, very, very long shot,” Hipkins told media.
Seven days later those five ‘verys’ became a very firm NO.
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But just as Hipkins was crystallising his thinking last week about ruling out NZ First, Luxon appeared to be changing tack to better accommodate the motley crew.
Stuff understands that within National, consideration was given to ruling out working with more than two parties in a coalition arrangement and that Luxon would make that clear before the election.
The implication being that the partner party would be ACT but without the risk of antagonising potential coalition partners heading into an already nasty campaign.
It would have the added benefit of allowing Luxon to pedal his ‘coalition of chaos line’ about the three-headed left block without being labelled a hypocrite.
ROBERT KITCHIN/Stuff
National Leader Christopher Luxon, will he won’t he rule out Winston Peters?
On May 10, when Luxon ruled out working with Te Pāti Māori, he said the question of NZ First would be answered “on another day”.
But that “another day” appears to have been shifted until after the election, rather than laying out in advance which parties National will or will not work with.
When asked about working with NZ First last week, Luxon said: “after election day, we come together and we’ll put a coalition together.”
After election day.
KAI SCHWOERER/Stuff
Perversely for National the longer Luxon doesn’t make a call about NZ First the more air time it gives Peters
That’s a reluctant door open to Winston Peters. A clinical hedging of bets at this critical stage in the campaign.
But that’s not to say that the door won’t be nudged shut when the calculations are more categorical.
For example, if it looks like killing off Peters’ chance of government would garner National enough votes to change the game or if National and ACT are looking so untouchably solid and Peters’ rhetoric is getting so wild as to be considered unfeasible in government.
The Hipkins’ rule out pumps pressure on Luxon to make a stand too and perversely for National, the longer Luxon doesn’t make a call, the more air time it gives Peters as the public seeks answers about whether the pair would or would not work together.
In this week of lasts, this is not the last chance for Luxon to rule out working with NZ First and Winston Peters.
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