Botany a rich contest to watch
Luxon v Ross political battle promising to be a fascinating one
Sometimes a top notch businessman entering the political world has to fake a lower IQ to successfully rub shoulders not only with the voters that put them there — but also their colleagues.
What Sir John Key used to refer to privately as “putting on my smiley face” as he sashayed out to rub shoulders with the masses just minutes after cutting through a complex policy decision.
This should be no surprise to National candidate Chris Luxon, who has long made a study of politics one of his passions. He is quickly adopting a more edgy persona as he starts his push to win the Botany seat for National, including meeting full on questions on whether he backs euthanasia and abortion law reform.
But there is also a duality at play. Business candidates — not celebrities which Luxon certainly isn’t despite efforts by political journalists to characterise him that way — also need to be able to switch back at will the demonstrable aura of skilled accomplishment which saw them sought out by party chiefs to enter the world of national politics in the first place.
The former Air New Zealand chief executive is aware of this.
So, when Botany’s dissident MP Jami-Lee Ross tweeted “welcome to the jungle” on Monday evening (just after Luxon won on the first ballot National’s candidacy for the seat) he curbed an instinct to fire back. In fact, Luxon wasn’t even on Twitter then. He opened his account yesterday (https:/ /twitter.com/Chris_Luxon)
Luxon has played in much bigger sandpits than to be at all fazed by a spurious tweet.
It was yet another feat of doomed bravado by Ross.
Botany is in fact now Luxon’s to lose such is the support National enjoys within the electorate.
Another question for Luxon is will he be known as “Chris” or “Christopher” in the political world.
Notice I used “Chris” at the beginning of this column rather than “Christopher”, the name he used when he ruled the Air NZ corporate roost for eight years.
As Luxon enters the world of retail politics he appears to be occasionally shrugging off his full moniker — which conveys a great deal of gravitas but does not signal the easy affability he will have to learn as he builds voter support within the Botany electorate before the 2020 general election. He admitted as much, saying he felt as if he were going back to high school.
Ross’s supporters have heralded the Botany contest could turn dirty.
There’s no need for Luxon to engage in that.
The real point of difference will come when Luxon makes good on his promise to campaign heavily for the Chinese and Asian vote within Botany.
This puts Ross — who is still waiting on the outcome of his police complaint alleging National broke electoral donation rules over a major Chinese donation — in an interesting position.
Does he continue to make dark allegations against National Leader Simon Bridges over courting Chinese influence? Or does he turn a blind eye to Luxon’s game plan?
This will be a rich contest to watch.