On Tuesday, New Zealand’s conservative opposition party chose former businessman and political newcomer Christopher Luxon as its new head, as it strives to recover from a humiliating election setback last year and ongoing infighting.
Luxon is a personal friend of former Prime Minister John Key, and many in the National Party are hoping that he would adopt the same relaxed and confident demeanour as popular Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern. Some worry that his orthodox Christian ideals are out of touch with the majority of New Zealanders.
Luxon spent more than six years as the CEO of national carrier Air New Zealand before entering politics for the first time in last year’s election. Prior to that, he worked for Unilever for 18 years, rising to the position of CEO of the company’s Canadian operations.
Luxon explained, ‘I got to politics because I know how to solve problems and get things done. I’ve made a career out of turning around underperforming businesses, and I’ll bring that real-world expertise to this position.’
He claims that his faith keeps him grounded, yet he sees a clear distinction between religion and politics.
Luxon, 51, is the National Party’s fifth leader since Ardern took office four years ago. Last year, the party suffered a historic electoral loss as Ardern’s coronavirus reaction proved tremendously popular.
Luxon stated, ‘We are the reset. Today, we are putting the events of the last four years behind us and drawing a line under them.’
Since the last election, Ardern’s and her liberal Labour Party’s popularity has dipped slightly in opinion polls, but former National Party leader Judith Collins has been unable to capitalise, with the libertarian ACT Party gaining the majority of the gains.
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