Christopher Luxon's business acumen

How the Prime Minister's beliefs shape his approach to 'managing' Aotearoa New Zealand

It’s April, and the relatively new Prime Minister of New Zealand is on his first overseas mission to South East Asia.

Christopher Luxon walks into the room. A warm smile on his face. A hand extended to his counterpart.

“We are open for business,” he says confidently. “New Zealand is under new management.”

Luxon with the Phillipines President Ferdinand ‘Bongbong’ Marcos, son of dictator, Marcos Senior. Ferdinand won his election using a slew of misinformation, including claims then New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Adern, supported him as a candidate.

APP fact check wrote: “False. Ms Ardern has never voiced any public support for Marcos Jr. The only discernible source of the quote is partisan Filipino social media accounts.”

Some in the New Zealand trade contingent silently cringe, and the Chairman of a Kiwi export business later counsels Mr Luxon to stop repeating those phrases.

“New Zealand has never been closed for business.” It’s not good for business to say that. Political vernacular…