‘INFIGHTING’:
The defense minister, who brought the challenge, has since been fired and said he would quit parliament altogether, according to a statement
New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon yesterday said he had the “full support” of his ruling National Party after surviving a leadership challenge called with less than three months until a general election. Luxon, who has led New Zealand since 2023, has been unable to reverse his party’s slide in the polls, with a series of gaffes, divisions within his ruling coalition, and rising living costs and unemployment denting his popularity. He called an emergency meeting on Tuesday after media reported growing speculation that his leadership was no longer tenable.
New Zealand Prime Minister Chris Luxon speaks to the media after surviving a second National Party leadership vote in Wellington yesterday.
Following hours of closed-door talks with party grandees, Luxon said he had secured their backing. “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 journalists.
