Kiwis deserve better than embarrassing leaders
I have been meeting with advocates for the disabled and sending messages of solidarity to those protesting disability cuts via my dedicated staff and volunteers, on days I've been required in Wellington. It's shameful that those facing the most difficult structural barriers are having to fight for their basic rights.
The disrespect and incompetence stretch across the Government benches. The comments I have seen from our deputy prime minister and foreign affairs minister recently are embarrassing. Our little country generally punches above its weight on the world stage, but instead we’re making global headlines for all the wrong reasons – an unnecessary and expensive defamation case against an elder statesman from another country.
It is even more embarrassing that Christopher Luxon is doing nothing about it.
It’s the Coalition of Chaos as predicted and Luxon has shown he’s got absolutely no control over the chaos. Winston Peters is being dragged to court at the expense of the taxpayer, while David Seymour continues to make public comments about the judiciary despite a public spat with his leader about whether it’s wise to do that.
Luxon is letting it happen because he’s too scared to rock the boat.
But top it off with an historically bad TVNZ poll result for the Coalition parties – the absolute worst for a new government since MMP began last century – shows New Zealanders aren’t happy with the choices he’s making.
But Labour has a lot of work to do too. That’s why here in Taieri and Invercargill I’ve been meeting with community groups and door knocking to discuss issues – because we know we need to listen and come up with a plan and a vision that New Zealanders want to see.
We know we don’t have all the answers.
New Zealand voted for change at the last election, so we have to work hard to change too. There’s no use being a bold, progressive party if we’re not willing to change ourselves.
I’m excited about the process we are going through to be the change New Zealanders want to see. We’ll be a different party in 2026, but we’ll have the same core value of fairness for all.
Labour has a fundamentally different approach to governing than what we are seeing right now. It is about putting New Zealanders at the forefront of every decision we make. We want to make progress as a nation, be an inclusive and welcoming society where people are free to say and be whoever they want to be. It’s about investing in the services that Kiwis rely on, not cutting hospital funding and kids’ classrooms.
This Government has no plan beyond cutting everything to the bone. There is a much more responsible way to govern, and there is a much more responsible way to lead than to say whatever you want no matter the consequences.
Instead of ignoring the public and his own Coalition partners, Luxon could choose to show some real leadership – and stop the chaos and the cuts.