Daily review 11/08/2026

Written By: notices and features - Date published: - 28 comments
Categories: Daily review

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28 comments on “Daily review 11/08/2026”

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  2. 2

    More small fry for small businesses from Labour. Most likely, the aim is to generate more goodwill and build bridges. I think it’s a good strategy.

    The message comes across as a little contrived, and uncritically singing the praises of AI could come from a press release by the National Party. It’ll be interesting to see if Labour will have some specific policy on AI and whether it will go down better with the Greens or TOP (I reckon, the latter is more likely).

    https://www.labour.org.nz/news/release-backing-small-business-to-innovate-and-succeed/

  4. 4

    1News is reporting that Stanford has not supported Luxon when asked. 1News claims that senior cabinet ministers plan to tell him it's time to go.

    https://www.1news.co.nz/2026/08/11/senior-national-mps-consider-telling-luxon-it-is-time-to-go/

    The Post has reported a mooted leadership line-up would include Stanford as prime minister and party leader, and Mark Mitchell as deputy leader.

    The outlet also reported Chris Bishop would take over the finance portfolio currently held by Nicola Willis.

  5. 5

    Luxon's last act as National leader was to postpone the caucus meeting from now (this evening) to tomorrow. It is fitting that he departs with one last mistake.

    He might have hung on if it was the (previously scheduled) Zoom meeting. Routine caucus, back the leader, that's settled, AOB?

    Instead, a bunch of grumpy MPs with extra time to talk and meet in person are all touching down in Wellington tonight, and will remove him tomorrow. Erica has the numbers.

    I've no idea if the change will help National (my guess is that it will). But Luxon as PM has been so bad – so astonishingly, jaw-droppingly out of his depth – that his departure is welcome. And he has only one person to blame.

    1. 7.1

      According to 1News, that Stanford, Mitchell & Bishop is what the Post is suggesting. Some other goss is that John Key has been hitting the phones trying to convince Nat MPs to support Luxon.

      And in yet other goss, I've seen it suggested that this is the Key faction vs the Hooton faction. If so, it's interesting that the above trio is what is being suggested in Hooton's publication. Or maybe the factions suggested come from someone’s judgement based on the reports in The Post.

  9. 9

    I can understand why some in National might be hoping for a repeat of 2017: change the leader, reset the political conversation, and hope the electorate takes another look at the government.

    But I'm not convinced Erica ex Machina solves the underlying problem.

    Whoever replaces Luxon is almost certainly going to be Bishop, Stanford, Willis or Mitchell. These aren't outsiders arriving to rescue the government from somebody else's mistakes. They're senior ministers who were in the room when its major decisions were made, and who have spent the last three years repeatedly defending them in public.

    They can plausibly offer a different leadership style. It's much harder for them to offer a convincing substantive break with the Luxon government without immediately inviting the question: if these policies were wrong, why did you spend three years telling us they were right?

    That's quite different from 2017. Ardern could credibly represent generational and political change. A new National leader would still inherit ownership of the government's record, its unpopular decisions, and the absence of a compelling second-term proposition.

    Changing the salesperson may help if voters basically like the product but don't like Luxon. It does rather less if they've decided the product itself is the problem.

    1. 9.1

      good point. I don't think it's like 2017 for other reasons, but this one seems likely to be in the strategists' thinking

    2. 9.2

      I don't think Erica has a sense of humour; that is an issue for any leader. Jacinda had one. In fact that may be Lux's issue too.

      1. 9.2.1

        Actually, I do think Luxon does have a sense of humour, kinda, but it is typical National RW humour at the expense of others, instead of a self-deprecating humour that comes with self-awareness and humility.

      2. 9.2.2

        Erica Stanford has a very short fuse – she's often become huffy during question time in the House.

        I don't think she has the temperament to be a good leader – so perhaps she's suitable for the Natz.

    3. 9.3

      Makes very good sense – but only if voters are rational beings. The fact that your very good sense took four well-written paragraphs to explain, means it's probably not what happens in real life.

      1. 9.3.1

        The entire point is that voters aren't rational. But they're also not stupid.

        Say Stanford emerges as leader at 10:30 this morning. What exactly is the reset?

        Can she realistically turn around and say that she, as a senior Cabinet minister, was really opposed to the policies she's spent nearly three years defending, sometimes very loudly, against Chlöe Swarbrick in the House?

        She can offer a different personality, tone and political style from Luxon. That may well be worth something. But "Erica ex Machina" only works if voters are prepared to forget that she's been a senior member of the government they're supposedly being offered a fresh start from.

        Voters don't need to understand collective Cabinet responsibility to notice the contradiction.

    1. 10.1

      That's what Hipkins did last time while the nactoid black ops up-ended one left-bloc candidate / MP after another and Hipkins had nothing prepared to throw back at them except gst off fruit and vegetables.

  12. 12

    Thinker asked if I'd thought of standing for parliament, on the off chance they where serious

    Someone who rants like me wouldn't last 2 seconds, I last 3 months on a very minor commitee had to tell them to shove because of dishonesty, and petty bullshit

    1. 13.1

      Just in time for Halloween, October 31. She could go door knocking in the outfit, spray the bones with luminous paint on black, meet the peeps with a group of local kids, sort of like the Pied Piper of Hamelin, showing her fun side when it comes to education.

  14. 14

    So, if Mr Thumb is gone and Willis with him, does that mean the campaign manager (Brown) changes?

    He was appointed by Luxon.

    What is depressing is for all Luxon's lack of relatability, lack of leadership, one gaffe after another and a suite of unpopular policy (without mentioning Peters), Labour still can't poll ahead of them.

    Stanford vs Hipkins… It aint a fair fight.

    1. 14.1

      Campaigning on being "not National" and "not frightening the horses", may get Labour to squeeze past National, this time!

      But, it won't get Labour a second term in 2029.

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