Christopher Luxon Survives National Party Confidence Vote, Sacks Chris Penk in Wellington

By Lucy Craymer and Alasdair Pal WELLINGTON, Aug 12 (Reuters) – New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon survived a confidence vote on Wednesday after his defence minister mounted a leadership challenge, exposing deepening fractures in the ruling National Party less than three months before a tightly contested election. The bid by Chris Penk was the second public test of Luxon’s leadership this year, amplifying concerns over growing unrest in the centre-right party as it struggles in opinion polls and fuelling fresh doubts about the prime minister’s grip on power ahead of the November 7 election. Luxon moved swiftly after surviving the vote, sacking Penk from his defence, intelligence, space and building portfolios. The prime minister said Penk had instigated the leadership challenge, leaving his position “untenable”. Penk did not respond to a request for comment. Luxon called National’s caucus meeting after media reports that party members were canvassing support for a leadership change. He emerged flanked by senior ministers including Erica Stanford and Chris Bishop and delivered a 75-second statement before leaving without taking questions. “There was a confidence vote in my leadership this morning at our caucus meeting and I have the full support of our caucus,” Luxon said. The vote secured Luxon’s position for now, but it was his second confidence ballot since April – a rare public airing of leadership tensions in New Zealand politics, where such disputes are usually handled behind closed doors. Luxon’s leadership had again come under scrutiny after a series of public missteps, including floating the idea of a possible referendum on New Zealand’s electoral system without consulting colleagues, and an appeal to a business audience to “be adult” rather than look to the government for help. The 56-year-old former Air New Zealand chief executive has struggled to improve National’s standing or his own popularity as the economy sputters. A 1News Verian poll published on Wednesday put Luxon’s preferred-prime-minister rating at 17%, down 1 percentage point. He remained ahead of Labour Party leader Chris Hipkins, whose rating slipped one point to 15%. Political commentator Neale Jones, a former Labour Party staffer, said survival alone would not erase the damage. “This further undermines his authority as prime minister and as leader, and does make it harder for National,” Jones said. Jones said Labour’s “worst-case scenario” would have been National replacing Luxon and gaining an opportunity to reset its campaign before the election. AMBITIOUS AGENDA FALTERS Luxon took over National in late 2021 and became prime minister in 2023, when the party formed a coalition government with the libertarian ACT Party and New Zealand First. A millionaire father of two with several properties, Luxon has at times struggled to connect with voters, critics say, particularly when he lapses into corporate rhetoric. His government has pursued an ambitious reform agenda, including planning and water reforms, tax cuts, tighter public spending, higher defence spending and a more active foreign policy. It has also strengthened bilateral ties, including through a free trade agreement with India. Yet the economy remains the defining political battleground. Luxon won office promising to tame inflation and rein in debt, but growth remains weak, unemployment is at an 11-year high and inflation sits outside the central bank’s 1% to 3% target range. Most polls show National narrowly trailing Labour, though the complexities of New Zealand’s electoral system leave the November contest too close to call. Former National lawmaker Simon O’Connor said the party could recover from the damage done by the leadership challenge, but it needed to focus on policy and the campaign. “National cannot have any more distractions like this and the troublemakers either need to be encouraged or pushed to the side,” he said. “They cannot have any more days like this.” (Reporting by Lucy Craymer in Wellington and Alasdair Pal in Sydney; Editing by Jamie Freed and Shri Navaratnam)

New Zealand PM survives caucus confidence vote, retains party leadership [](https://subscribe.globaltimes.cn "E-Paper") [](https://www.globaltimes.cn/most%20shared/index.html "Apps") Sign in Sign in Subscribe CHINA Politics Society Diplomacy Military Science Odd China Graphic SOURCE GT Voice Insight Economy Comments Company B&R Initiative Biz Graphic OPINION Editorial Observer Asian Review Top Talk Viewpoint Columnists Cartoon HU SAYS IN-DEPTH LIFE Cultural Influencer Attitudes Culture Entertainment Travel WORLD Diplomatic Community SPORT Brasil 247 VIDEO Got-to-watch I-Talk Z-Talk PHOTO Gallery China World Biz Sport INFOGRAPHIC CARTOON WORLD / ASIA-PACIFIC New Zealand PM survives caucus confidence vote, retains party leadership By Xinhua Published: Aug 12, 2026 09:18 AM New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon survived a caucus confidence vote on Wednesday, retaining his leadership of the National Party less than 90 days before the country's general election. MOST VIEWED _1_China to launch first international commercial route for homegrown C919 jet _2_US Pentagon official’s Manila speech exposes alliance fragility, with Philippines likely to bear costs of provocations: Chinese expert _3_China rejects US-led statement on missile test notification, warns against ‘political manipulation’ _4_Who got embarrassed by Musk’s recommendation to ‘visit China’?: Global Times editorial _5_Guangxi’s Pinglu Canal starts live-ship navigation trial, final test before official opening in September _6_Chinese AI models sweep top spots in major rankings as open source, cost advantages drive overseas adoption despite US tech restrictions: expert CHINA Politics Society Diplomacy Military Science Odd China Graphic SOURCE GT Voice Insight Economy Comments Company B&R Initiative Biz Graphic OPINION Editorial Observer Global Minds Asian Review Top Talk Viewpoint Columnists Cartoon LIFE Cultural Influencer Attitudes Culture Entertainment Travel VISUAL NEWS Video Graphics Gallery Specials MISCELLANEOUS In-Depth World Sport [](https://www.globaltimes.cn/most%20shared/index.html "Apps") Newsletter About Us Careers Contact Us Advertisement Terms of Service Copyright © 2025 Global Times All Right Reserved 违法和不良信息举报电话：010-65363263 举报邮箱：[email protected] 京ICP备11001615号-7 GET OUR NEWSLETTER Sign up for our email list to receive daily newsletters from Global Times SIGN UP Subscribed successfully !facebook sharing button Share !twitter sharing button Post !weibo sharing button Share !wechat sharing button Share

Luxon survives another leadership vote months before New Zealand's election New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has survived a leadership vote among his party’s lawmakers less than three months before an election WELLINGTON, New Zealand -- New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said Wednesday that he survived a leadership vote prompted by a challenge from his defense minister less than three months before an election. The vote took place during a hastily convened meeting of Luxon’s center-right National Party lawmakers at Parliament in Wellington, which was held behind closed doors and ran for more than three hours. Luxon then emerged flanked by his lawmakers to give a brief statement and departed without taking any questions from reporters. “There was a confidence vote in my leadership this morning at our caucus meeting,” he said. “I had the full support of our caucus and our caucus is united and it is determined to win this election.” Luxon didn’t say how many lawmakers had voted for him to continue in the job, although such ballots are usually a secret. Hours later, he said in a statement that the vote was prompted by a leadership challenge from his defense minister, Chris Penk, adding that he had removed Penk from his ministerial portfolios. On Wednesday night, Luxon's office distributed a statement from Penk, in which the challenger said he would quit Parliament altogether. The vote was the second Luxon had called about his own leadership since April and leaves lingering questions coming so close to the election scheduled for Nov. 7. The April vote followed drops in polling for National, while this week’s followed recent public remarks Luxon had made on various issues that some in his party saw as gaffes. On Tuesday, the leader took the rare step of disclosing on social media that he faced renewed rumblings about his leadership, and announcing he would call a meeting of his lawmakers Wednesday to resolve it. “It is my firm belief that division and disunity are a major distraction only 90 days out from the election,” he wrote on X. “I also believe this distraction is unfair to the New Zealand people, and dedicated National Party candidates, supporters and volunteers, when there is so much at stake.” National has led a right-wing coalition government since New Zealand’s 2023 election. Luxon, a former airline executive who entered Parliament in 2020, had led the party since 2021. Details of who had prompted the leadership rumblings at first remained a mystery. Nobody publicly confirmed plans for a leadership bid or expressed intentions to oust their leader, and those whose names were reported speculatively by news outlets denied it. Several hours after the vote, Luxon named Penk as his challenger and said his now former minister’s position was “untenable.” Penk, 47, was also the minister for building and construction, and responsible for the security services and space portfolios. A former lawyer who served in Australia’s navy, Penk entered Parliament in 2017. He didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment on Wednesday, but in the statement Luxon's office attributed to him, Penk said he had “reflected on my political future with my family tonight” and would not seek reelection in November, effectively ending his political career. “I am proud of the progress I have contributed to as a Minister this term,” Penk's statement said. “However, I have decided it is the time for me to seek other opportunities to serve New Zealand.” The statement did not criticize Luxon or reference his leadership bid. Meanwhile, Luxon’s political opponents lambasted him and his party. “Backstabbing and infighting just means more delay and more distraction for New Zealand,” said Chris Hipkins, the opposition leader and leader of the center-left Labour party. “If National can’t govern itself, how can New Zealanders trust it to govern the country?” Among the recent remarks that appeared to prompt renewed leadership murmurings were comments Luxon made to a business audience earlier this month, when he said some business leaders in the country had a “parent-child mentality” and too often looked to the government for direction. Luxon, who was once an executive at Unilever when he lived in the United States, has always sold himself as a business expert and has sometimes pointed out where he sees New Zealand as falling short of global trends. When elected, he pledged to use his experience to reverse New Zealand’s economic woes of recent years. This month’s remarks were lambasted, including by some in his own party, as being out of touch while the economy remained sluggish. He later apologized for the comments. In another episode, he was forced to divulge that he had used a military aircraft to return to Wellington after a political party fundraiser. Luxon also surprised his lawmakers this month when he promised a referendum on New Zealand’s electoral system if reelected – apparently without first telling his caucus. The episodes were seen among some in his party as an unwelcome distraction ahead of the election and revealing of Luxon’s relative political inexperience. ___ This version has corrected that Luxon entered Parliament in 2020, not 2000.

New Zealand’s prime minister survives another confidence vote Christopher Luxon will remain leader of governing National Party ahead of general election Aamir Latif 12 August 2026•Update: 12 August 2026 ISLAMABAD New Zealand’s Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said Wednesday that he survived another confidence vote and will remain leader of the governing National Party, state media reported. The announcement came after an urgent National Party caucus meeting was held in the capital Wellington, said Radio New Zealand. Luxon told reporters that he had survived the confidence vote with the "full support" of his caucus and confirmed he would remain the party leader. "We're going back to work, and we're moving on," he said. The confidence vote came less than three months before New Zealand's general election as the ruling party prepares for the campaign. It marked the second such vote Luxon has faced since assuming office, with the first held in April. The latest vote was called after a series of missteps by Luxon, including telling small business leaders that they held a “negative view” about operating in a tough economy and had a “parent-child mentality” with the government, for which he apologized, his use of a military plane for travel to Auckland, and pledging to put the country’s electoral system to a referendum if voted back in, catching his party off guard and prompting him to apologize.

New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon speaks at a news conference at Parliament in Wellington, New Zealand, July 20, 2026. /VCG New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon survived a caucus confidence vote on Wednesday and will remain leader of the governing National Party, after an hours-long caucus meeting in the capital Wellington. Luxon said he had survived the confidence vote with the "full support" of his caucus and confirmed he would remain National Party leader at a press conference at parliament. The confidence vote came less than 90 days before New Zealand's general election, putting renewed focus on Luxon's leadership as the governing party prepares for the campaign. He called the meeting amid speculation that his leadership was coming under pressure following a series of missteps and clashes, including his "parent-child" comment on businesses, his use of a military plane for travel to Auckland, and his idea of holding a referendum on the mixed-member proportional electoral system if reelected. This was the second confidence vote Luxon has faced since becoming prime minister, with the first held in April. After surviving the vote, Luxon underlined the need for the National Party to defeat the Labor-led opposition in the country's next general election, scheduled for November 7.

WELLINGTON – New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has survived a second caucus confidence vote in four months, but the leadership challenge has highlighted growing political pressure on his National Party less than three months before the country's general election on Nov 7. Luxon said on Wednesday he had the "full support" of his caucus and would remain leader of the governing National Party following an hours-long meeting at parliament in the capital Wellington. He called the meeting amid speculation over his leadership after a series of political missteps and clashes, including his "parent-child" comment about businesses, his use of a military plane for travel to Auckland, and his proposal to hold a referendum on the country's mixed-member proportional (MMP) electoral system if re-elected. The leadership challenge came as National faces a highly competitive election contest. A Taxpayers' Union-Curia poll released on Aug 7 put National's support rate at 31 percent, up 0.5 percentage points from its previous poll, with the National-led coalition projected to retain a narrow parliamentary majority. A Radio New Zealand-Reid Research poll in July, however, put National's support rate at 28.7 percent, its lowest level since Luxon became party leader in 2021. ALSO READ: NZ PM Luxon calls November 7 poll, promises economic prosperity A 1News Verian poll released Wednesday, conducted ahead of the caucus confidence vote, put the opposition Labor Party's support rate at 30 percent, ahead of National at 29 percent, while Luxon's preferred prime minister rating fell one point to 17 percent. Luxon led National to victory in the 2023 election. But the party now faces pressure over the economy, the cost of living and public services, while Labor is seeking a comeback. For Labor leader Chris Hipkins, the election represents an opportunity to return to government after the party's defeat in 2023. But Labor must also contend with competition from the Greens and the Maori Party for the wider center-left votes. New Zealand's annual inflation rose to 4.1 percent in the June quarter, above the Reserve Bank's 1-3 percent target range, while unemployment has remained elevated. The government is also under pressure to control spending and return the budget to surplus. READ MORE: New Zealand ex-PM Jacinda Ardern joins Kiwi exodus to Australia Cost of living, housing affordability, healthcare and infrastructure are expected to be major issues in the upcoming election. National is likely to campaign on economic recovery, spending restraint, law and order and infrastructure investment, while Labor has focused on household costs, healthcare, jobs and housing. Maori issues are also expected to feature prominently. The government's approach to the Treaty of Waitangi and proposed changes to Treaty principles have generated strong opposition from Labor, the Greens and the Maori Party. Other campaign flashpoints are likely to include immigration, climate and energy policy, crime and gang legislation, and the future of the MMP electoral system. With polls pointing to a tight race and smaller parties potentially holding the balance of power, the upcoming election is shaping up as a major test of New Zealand's economic direction, public services and political future.

New Zealand’s Luxon survives a confidence vote that exposes rifts before the elections Published on 11/08/2026 at 23:18 - Updated on 12/08/2026 at 11:25 Chris Penk’s bid marked Luxon’s second public test this year, fueling concerns about unrest within his center-right party. The party is facing difficulties in opinion polls, fueling new doubts about the prime minister’s grip on power ahead of the November 7 elections. Luxon responded quickly after the vote and dismissed Penk from his portfolios of Defense, Intelligence, Space, and Construction. The prime minister stated that Penk had instigated the leadership challenge, making his position “unsustainable.” Subsequently, Penk announced that he would leave politics and would not contest his seat in the elections, although he expressed his support for Luxon to lead the Government. The former minister did not respond to requests for comment. Luxon summoned the National Party parliamentary group meeting after media reports suggested several party members were surveying support for a leadership change. The prime minister appeared flanked by senior ministers, including Erica Stanford and Chris Bishop, and read a 75-second statement before walking off without taking questions. “This morning, a confidence vote on my leadership was held at our parliamentary group meeting, and I have the full backing of my colleagues,” Luxon said. Although the vote secures Luxon’s position for now, it is his second confidence process since April, an unusual public exposure of leadership tensions in New Zealand politics, where such disputes are usually resolved behind closed doors. Luxon’s leadership has come under renewed scrutiny after a series of public missteps. Among them, he floated the possibility of holding a referendum on New Zealand’s electoral system without consulting his colleagues, and asked a business audience to “grow up” instead of requesting government help. With an economy that has yet to take off, the former Air New Zealand chief executive, 56, has struggled to improve the National Party’s position and his own popularity. A 1News Verian poll published this Wednesday placed Luxon’s rating as preferred prime minister at 17%, one point lower than in the previous poll. Despite the drop, he remains ahead of Labour Leader Chris Hipkins, whose rating fell by one point to 15%. However, mere survival will not erase the damage done, according to political analyst Neale Jones, former adviser to the Labour Party. “This weakens his authority as prime minister and as a leader even further, and makes things harder for the National Party,” Jones said. The analyst added that the “worst-case scenario” for the Labour Party would have been for the National Party to replace Luxon, giving them the opportunity to restart their campaign before the elections. AN AMBITIOUS AGENDA THAT IS STALLING Luxon took the reins of the National Party in late 2021 and became prime minister in 2023, when the party formed a coalition government with the libertarian ACT and New Zealand First. A billionaire, father of two, and owner of several properties, Luxon has sometimes struggled to connect with voters, critics say, especially when he uses language that is too corporate. His government has pushed an ambitious reform agenda including changes in urban planning and water management, tax cuts, tighter control of public spending, an increase in defense spending, and a more active foreign policy. He has also strengthened bilateral ties, highlighting the signing of a free trade agreement with India. Nevertheless, the economy remains the main battleground. Luxon came to power with promises to control inflation and reduce debt, but growth remains weak, unemployment is at an 11-year high, and inflation sits outside the central bank’s target range of 1% to 3%. Most polls show the National Party slightly behind Labour, though the complexity of the New Zealand electoral system makes November’s result still unpredictable. The 1News Verian poll showed Labour support falling two points since June to 30%, while National’s support stayed at 29%. Simon O’Connor, a former National MP, said the party could recover from the damage but emphasized focusing on the program and the campaign. “The National Party cannot afford more distractions of this kind; troublemakers should be urged to rectify or be removed,” he said. “They cannot go back to days like today.”

La votación, realizada a puerta cerrada, se produjo en medio de crecientes tensiones internas y encuestas que muestran un retroceso en el apoyo al oficialismo. Tras la reunión, Luxon declaró que cuenta con el pleno respaldo de sus legisladores y aseguró que el partido está unido y decidido a ganar en noviembre. Se trata de la segunda moción de confianza que enfrenta en lo que va del año, luego de un episodio similar en abril, cuando su popularidad sufrió un descenso marcado. Las elecciones generales en Nueva Zelanda están programadas para el 7 de noviembre de 2026. Según los últimos sondeos, el Partido Nacional se mantiene en competencia con el laborismo, aunque con un margen estrecho y con riesgos de perder escaños clave. La coalición gobernante, integrada por los partidos Nacional, ACT y New Zealand First, atraviesa un escenario frágil, con tensiones internas que han puesto en duda la estabilidad del Ejecutivo. El resultado de la votación refuerza temporalmente la posición de Luxon, pero varios analistas políticos señalan que deja en evidencia las divisiones dentro de su partido y la incertidumbre alrededor de la campaña electoral en este país oceánico. ro/msm

WELLINGTON, Aug 12 (Reuters) - New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon survived a confidence vote on Wednesday, seeing off a leadership challenge from his defence minister that exposed growing rifts in his National Party less than three months before a tight election. The bid by Chris Penk was the year's second public test for Luxon, boosting concern over disquiet in his centre-right party as it struggles in opinion polls and fuelling fresh doubts about his grip on power ahead of the November 7 election. Sign up here. Luxon moved swiftly after the vote, sacking Penk from his defence, intelligence, space and building portfolios. The prime minister said Penk had instigated the leadership challenge, leaving his position "untenable". Penk later said he would quit politics and not contest his seat at the election, but said he supported Luxon to lead the government. He did not respond to a request for comment. Luxon called National's caucus meeting after media reports that party members were canvassing support for a leadership change. He emerged flanked by senior ministers including Erica Stanford and Chris Bishop and delivered a 75-second statement before leaving without taking questions. "There was a confidence vote in my leadership this morning at our caucus meeting and I have the full support of our caucus," Luxon said. The vote secured Luxon's position for now, but it was his second confidence ballot since April - a rare public airing of leadership tensions in New Zealand politics, where such disputes are usually handled behind closed doors. Luxon's leadership drew fresh scrutiny after a series of public missteps. These included floating the idea of a possible referendum on New Zealand's electoral system without consulting colleagues, and an appeal to a business audience to "be adult" rather than seeking government help. As the economy sputters, the 56-year-old former Air New Zealand chief executive has struggled to improve National's standing and his own popularity. A 1News Verian poll published on Wednesday put Luxon's preferred-prime-minister rating at 17%, down 1 percentage point. He remained ahead of Labour Party leader Chris Hipkins, whose rating slipped one point to 15%. But survival alone would not erase the damage, said political commentator Neale Jones, a former Labour Party staffer. "This further undermines his authority as prime minister and as leader, and does make it harder for National," Jones said. Labour's "worst-case scenario" would have been National replacing Luxon and gaining an opportunity to reset its campaign before the election, Jones added. AMBITIOUS AGENDA FALTERS Luxon took over National in late 2021 and became prime minister in 2023, when the party formed a coalition government with the libertarian ACT Party and New Zealand First. A millionaire father of two with several properties, Luxon has at times struggled to connect with voters, critics say, particularly when he lapses into corporate rhetoric. His government has pursued an ambitious reform agenda, including planning and water reforms, tax cuts, tighter public spending, higher defence spending and a more active foreign policy. It has also strengthened two-way ties, such as a free trade pact with India. Yet the economy remains the defining political battleground. Luxon won office promising to tame inflation and rein in debt, but growth remains weak, unemployment is at an 11-year high and inflation is outside the central bank's 1% to 3% target range. Most polls show National narrowly trailing Labour, though the complexities of New Zealand's electoral system leave the November contest too close to call. The 1News Verian poll showed support for Labour was down 2 points from June to 30% while National's vote stayed at 29%. Former National lawmaker Simon O'Connor said the party could recover from the damage, but it needed to focus on policy and the campaign. "National cannot have any more distractions like this and the troublemakers either need to be encouraged or pushed to the side," he said. "They cannot have any more days like this." Reporting by Lucy Craymer in Wellington and Alasdair Pal in Sydney; Editing by Jamie Freed and Shri Navaratnam Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Christopher Luxon is remaining as Aotearoa New Zealand Prime Minister. The much-maligned PM’s leadership had been on the line all week, with an urgent in-person meeting with his National Party caucus held in Te Whanganui-a-Tara Wellington this morning. In a remarkably brief press conference following the meeting, Luxon announced that he has the full support of the National caucus ahead of the election. “There was a confidence vote in my leadership this morning at our caucus meeting and I have the full support of our caucus,” he told reporters. “Our focus is on National’s positive plan to fix the basics and to build the future so that we realise the incredible potential that sits in this country and that we set it up for our kids and our grandkids so they can do better than we can.” After thanking the gathered reporters, he said, “We are going back to work.” As Luxon made his announcement, key senior members of his caucus stood behind him, including Erica Stanford, who had been tipped as one of the big contenders to replace the PM if he stood down. Love Music? Get your daily dose of everything happening in Australian/New Zealand music and globally. After his short statement, Luxon left the press conference without fielding questions from reporters. The New Zealand Herald reported on Monday that Luxon’s fellow National MPs had spent the day fielding “several” calls about a potential change of leadership ahead of the upcoming election. Luxon took to social media yesterday to announce that he was calling his caucus to the capital for a crucial Wednesday meeting. His social media post also directly addressed the swirling rumours about his leadership. “It is my firm belief that division and disunity are a major distraction only 90 days out from the election,” the departing PM wrote in the post. “I also believe this distraction is unfair to the New Zealand people, and dedicated National Party candidates, supporters and volunteers, when there is so much at stake.” When he arrived in Wellington later that day, however, he seemed less confident. “Talk to you tomorrow… take care team,” he said to reporters. Luxon’s leadership had been in trouble for a while. He previously called a confidence vote four months ago, which he survived at the time. August has been a turbulent month for Luxon so far. Before this week’s emergency meeting, he had to apologise to Rotorua Business Chamber leaders after he criticised them for relying on government too much; he was questioned as to why he didn’t more harshly reprimand Winston Peters after the Foreign Minister told Chinese-born MP Lawrence Xu-Nan to go back to his own country; and he was also questioned over his decision to fly home from a National party fundraising dinner on a Defence Force plane, on the same day the country’s unemployment record hit a record 11-year high.

Christopher Luxon has survived a confidence vote in caucus – his second within five months – and remains prime minister. In a very brief statement this afternoon, he said the National Party caucus is united and he has its full support – despite earlier having spoken on social media about the distraction of “division and disunity”. The party was now “going back to work and moving on,” he said. The entire drama was ignited by reports of dissatisfied National MPs leaking to the media, fuelling speculation about Luxon’s leadership. Wanting the issue “to be resolved quickly”, he called the urgent meeting. This felt like a decisive move, as if he was confident he had the numbers to defeat the dissidents and ward off all rivals. But it also coincided with the latest TVNZ/Verian poll showing Luxon down to 17% as preferred prime minister. If his leadership had been truly secure, the matter would never have had to be put to a vote again. The only saving grace, perhaps, is that opposition leader, Labour’s Chris Hipkins, is also unpopular, and the Labour Party lags behind National in recent polls. Tests of modern leadership This is hardly new territory for the National Party which burned through three leaders in 2020, before being wiped out in a Labour landslide at that year’s election. Labour itself had been through several leaders before anointing Jacinda Ardern just weeks out from the 2017 election. She became the party’s sixth leader in nine years. With the 2026 election fast approaching, a sitting prime minister facing a crisis within his own party, and the opposition leader not faring well either, New Zealanders may be asking where they can find good leadership. We might even ask, has political leadership simply become too difficult in this fast-paced information age, where crises and culture wars seemingly never let up? A quick survey of similar Westminster-style democracies might help. Are they doing any better, and are there clues to what makes an effective leader? Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is in his second term and still doing relatively well in preferred prime minister polls, ahead of his two main rivals Angus Taylor (Coalition) and Pauline Hanson (One Nation). But a majority are dissatisfied with his performance, and think their country is heading in the wrong direction. Like Luxon, Albanese has been gaffe-prone, but still keeps his ahead above water in polls. In the United Kingdom, the governing Labour Party is still test-driving new leader Andy Burnham. But former prime minister Keir Starmer was deeply unpopular, and stood down a month ago. Criticised for his wooden, lawyerly style, and for failing to act decisively on economic growth and immigration, there was something about Starmer the public just didn’t respond to. Luxon shares this problem. Labour has since seen a polling recovery, with Burnham ahead of his main rivals in preferred prime minister polls. It may just be a honeymoon – something Luxon enjoyed when he took over as party leader, but only briefly. Meanwhile, all eyes are on the Clacton by-election where Reform UK leader Nigel Farage is facing off against Count Binface. If you thought Wellington was a circus, British politics at least has its humorous side. Can you learn leadership? The standout performer as a leader at the moment is Canada’s Mark Carney. He rescued the centre-left Liberal Party, formerly led by Justin Trudeau, and won the election in April 2025. The Liberals have since increased their lead in polls over the Conservative Party and Carney is seeing around 50% in leadership polls. What is he getting right? As a former governor of both the Bank of Canada and the Bank of England, he brings a wide international experience, intellectual rigour and clarity to the job. Canadians refer to his “concentration and focus” and “bold, resolute and defiant” style. That defiance was on display in January at the World Economic Forum in Davos where Carney pitched a new world order balanced by the middle powers. Others refer to his ability to build trust. He has, it’s said, “an ability to read the room” and “a steady hand in a time of crisis”. Under pressure, though, it’s reported he can be disciplined but harsh. He has been known to lose his temper. He values humility, and is often self-deprecating, but can be “very demanding”. For the time being, Carney’s leadership capital is high, and Luxon might learn from his example. Despite being a former central banker, Carney has cultivated a down-to-earth style that people have warmed to. By contrast, Luxon’s personal brand as a successful CEO and business leader, and his reliance on management-speak, have hindered his ability to connect with ordinary voters. It has also contributed to his weakened position as leader since taking office in late 2023. The gaffes and missteps that led to the latest crisis seem to be a feature, not a bug. Both Luxon and Hipkins should know by now that political leadership isn’t easy, and the voting public can be unforgiving. But they can also look to others who are doing a noticeably better job. Luxon’s survival today reduces political uncertainty, to a degree. But the election, and potentially the coalition negotiations to follow, will test his will and skill. His leadership after November 7 is not at all a sure thing.

New Zealand’s prime minister Christopher Luxon has survived a second leadership showdown in four months, just 87 days out from the country’s general election. Talking to media after a three-hour meeting of his MPs in Wellington on Wednesday, the embattled leader said he had the full support of his party. “There was a confidence vote in my leadership this morning at our caucus meeting, and I have the full support of our caucus,” Luxon said. “Our caucus is united, and it is determined to win this election.” As he spoke, Luxon was flanked by his deputy Nicola Willis, the National party president, Sylvia Wood, and, in what was likely a deliberate move to show unity, three senior politicians who had been tipped as top contenders to take his place: Chris Bishop, Erica Stanford and Mark Mitchell. Luxon said National’s plan for the country was positive and the choice for voters was “crystal clear”. After less than one minute speaking, Luxon thanked the media and said his team was “going back to work”. He took no questions from reporters. Luxon may have emerged triumphant for a second time in four months, but his victory is likely to leave scars. For the prime minister, whose popularity among the public has failed to reach the lofty heights of his predecessors, the perceived lack of confidence within his own caucus could further rattle his reputation. While the party, which positions itself as the best option for a “strong stable government”, has sparked doubt over its ability to deliver on that message, with its display of disunity. Rumours of a leadership coup against Luxon began swirling on Monday. By Tuesday speculation had reached fever pitch, compelling Luxon to call his MPs to Wellington for an urgent meeting, where a vote of confidence was expected to take place. Luxon, who survived a leadership confidence vote in April, has seen support for National remain weak in opinion polls due to sluggish economic growth, and his personal popularity has declined after a series of missteps. National’s support has weakened as the economy struggles, with unemployment at an 11-year high and inflation above the central bank target of 1% to 3%. While recent polling suggests the coalition would scrape back into power, Luxon’s personal popularity has remained consistently low throughout his term. A 1News / Verian poll released on Wednesday showed his popularity had dropped further, to 17%, though he still remained the more popular leader, above Labour’s Chris Hipkins on 15%. The leadership challenge comes off the back of a rocky week for Luxon, who came under fire for a series of gaffes, including having to apologise to small business leaders after telling them they held a “negative view” about operating in a tough economy and had a “parent-child mentality” with the government. He then made a surprise captain’s call on talkback radio pledging to put the country’s electoral system, MMP, to a referendum if voted back in. That announcement caught his party off guard and he again found himself apologising to his members. Luxon drew criticism from opposition politicians for using the New Zealand Defence Force aircraft to travel to Auckland after a National party fundraiser, and faced backlash for expressing confidence in the foreign minister, Winston Peters, who told a Chinese-born Green MP to “go back to your own country”. Posting to social media after the prime minister’s announcement, the Labour leader, Chris Hipkins, said National had spent the day fighting over jobs. “The National party is deeply divided. And the instability this week has shown exactly why nothing is getting better for hard working Kiwis,” he said. Green party co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick said as the party “tussle about who should be in the top job, they continue to show their focus is on anything other than what matters to the people of this country.” Ben Thomas, a political commentator, said removing a sitting prime minister requires a high threshold to be met, and in this case, it was “better the devil you know”. He added that polling for National and Luxon had marginally improved. “It’s not exactly a new dawn, but it is a glimpse of sunlight.” The political commentator and author Dr Claire Robinson said something had clearly gone wrong inside the party, to warrant an urgent confidence vote. “But they’ve clearly made a risk assessment: is it better to stick with what people know rather than pick an untested leader?” Luxon would now need to prove he is capable of avoiding further missteps, she said. “If he doesn’t actually do the work on himself, then there’s just going to be more and more moments like this.”

The U.S. dollar remained little changed in the early hours of today’s Asian session, showing little reaction to the latest attacks on ships in key Middle East sea routes, as currency markets waited for U.S. inflation data to be released later. On the morning of August 12, the State Bank of Vietnam published a central exchange rate of 25,539 VND. On August 12, the State Bank of Vietnam (SBV) set the central rate at 25,539 VND. According to a survey conducted this morning by thoibaonganhang.vn, the buy and sell prices of USD across all commercial banks moved up or down with a common margin of 20 to 30 VND compared with the previous session. The Japanese yen was virtually unchanged against the U.S. dollar, trading at 159.335 JPY/USD, near its lowest level of the month despite the recent coordinated intervention by U.S. and Japanese officials to support the Japanese currency. The euro remained firm at 1.1537 USD/EUR. The British pound was virtually unchanged at 1.3503 USD/GBP. The Australian dollar remained steady at 0.7064 USD. The New Zealand dollar fell 0.1% to 0.5876 after New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said on Wednesday he had survived a confidence motion from ruling-party MPs, amid speculation about his leadership position just months before the general elections. This week, market attention centers on the United States inflation data to be released on Wednesday, which will offer more clues about the direction of Federal Reserve interest rates. Last week’s employment report, which came in weaker than expected, and the Fed chairman Kevin Warsh’s press conference last month have not managed to dispel market doubts about the outlook for monetary policy. ING analysts forecast that “inflation will likely continue moderating for the rest of 2026,” provided oil prices are controlled and the Strait of Ormuz is reopened. ING added that the market has already started pricing in a scenario of moderately low inflation. The DXY index, which measures the strength of the U.S. dollar against a basket of six major currencies, rose 0.1% to 99.858. Oil prices rose slightly as Asian markets opened on Wednesday, with Brent crude climbing 0.8% to $89.61 per barrel after Houthi forces, backed by Iran, attacked a cargo ship in the Bab el-Mandeb strait and the U.S. military attacked a container ship off the coast of Pakistan, which was reportedly attempting to circumvent the Strait of Hormuz blockade. Chicago Federal Reserve President Austan Goolsbee said on Tuesday that the central bank is more concerned about excessive inflation than a weakening labor market. However, it is unclear whether this stance implies alignment with the minority of policymakers who argued for a rate hike last month. Market participants remain divided on the Federal Reserve’s next decision. According to CME Group’s FedWatch tool, futures pricing for Fed funds currently reflect a 52% probability that rates will be held steady at the two-day meeting ending on September 16, versus a 48% probability of a 25 basis point hike. Source: https://thoibaonganhang.vn/sang-128-nhnn-niem-yet-ty-gia-trung-tam-o-muc-25539-dong-186163.html

(Multimedia) New Zealand Prime Minister survives confidence vote and retains leadership of the governing party National Party leader and incoming New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon speaks in Parliament in Wellington, New Zealand, on 24 November 2023. (Xinhua) Wellington, August 12, 2026 (Xinhua) The New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon today (Wednesday) surviving a confidence vote within his party’s parliamentary bloc, to remain the leader of the governing National Party, after a bloc meeting that lasted for hours in the capital Wellington. Luxon said he had successfully passed the confidence vote with the “full backing” of his bloc members, and at a press conference in Parliament he affirmed that he would remain the leader of the National Party. The confidence vote came less than 90 days before New Zealand’s general election, bringing renewed focus on Luxon’s leadership as the governing party prepares for the campaign. Luxon called the meeting amid speculation that his leadership was under pressure after a series of gaffes and clashes, including his remark describing the relationship with businesses as a “father and child” relationship, his use of a military aircraft to travel to Auckland, and his idea of holding a referendum on the current Mixed Member Proportional (MMP) electoral system if reelected. This was Luxon’s second confidence vote since taking office as prime minister, after the first vote was held in April. Following the vote, Luxon urged that the National Party must defeat the opposition led by the Labour Party in the upcoming general election in the country, scheduled for November 7. ■