Who backs Luxon? Erica Stanford silent as Nats return for caucus meeting

National leader Christopher Luxon has called an urgent in-person caucus meeting for tomorrow morning. 

He has just posted on X: “It is clear from various media reports and conversations there is increased speculation about my leadership.” 

“It is my firm belief that division and disunity are a major distraction only 90 days out from the election. 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. 

“For these reasons, this issue needs to be resolved quickly, and I am calling an urgent in-person Caucus meeting tomorrow at 9:30am in Wellington to resolve the issue.” 

National MP Chris Bishop earlier didn’t deny there is appetite for potential leadership change within the party, refusing to comment on speculation Luxon’s time may soon be up. 

It comes after the Herald revealed last night that conversations within the party about the leadership were being had and ahead of the National caucus gathering in what MPs claim is a pre-arranged meeting later tonight. 

While Bishop and other MPs continue to endorse Luxon, Auckland Mayor Wayne Brown has given his take on potential successors, describing Bishop has a “good bloke” but also stating Chris “Penky” Penk is “pretty good as well”. 

There have been reports that former prime minister Sir John Key had been phoning MPs lobbying on Luxon’s behalf. Key told the Herald these reports were “untrue”. 

Bishop, who has been speculated as a potential contender though has denied such ambitions, spoke to reporters this morning at the opening of Te Mahia Station level crossing in Auckland. 

Asked about leadership conversations, Bishop said: “I am not going to comment today on media stories like that”. 

When it was put to him that he wasn’t denying National MPs were telling the media about a potential leadership change, Bishop responded: “Well, I mean, I’m not going to deny the Herald’s reported it.“ 

“All I would say is people shouldn’t be talking to media like that. We’ve been we’ve been down this road before. It’s not helpful.” 

Bishop said the briefing “indicates a couple of people who are prepared to talk to media are unhappy about it.” 

He said anonymous briefings to the media were “unhelpful and not what caucus members should be doing.” 

“I am not going to comment on anonymous briefings.” 

The minister said he retained confidence in Luxon. 

National's Chris Bishop says he regularly speaks with his colleagues. Photo / Jason Dorday 

Asked whether there had been calls amongst MPs about the party’s leadership, Bishop responded: “I don’t talk about calls that I have with my caucus colleagues.” 

Bishop said he spoke with MPs on the phone regularly, as is normal when MPs are out of Wellington during a recess week. 

“It’s a recess week, people are out and about. I think I’m in about four different cities in the next four days, so of course people are talking on the phones.” 

The MP confirmed National’s caucus would be meeting virtually this week, but said this was prescheduled. He didn’t believe Luxon’s leadership was on the agenda. 

It’s understood the meeting is at around 8:30pm on Tuesday night. 

Bishop was unsure why his name continued to come up amid leadership speculation. 

“I am just getting on with the job.” 

Bishop described himself as “very optimistic about the future of this Government.” 

Brown: Bishop a ‘good bloke’, but Penk ‘pretty good as well’ 

Auckland Mayor Wayne Brown, standing alongside Bishop at the Northwest Busway’s Westgate Station opening, was asked whether he wanted the National MP to become Prime Minister. 

“Now there is a tricky question,” Brown said, laughing and slapping Bishop on the back. 

“He’s a good bloke. But he’s got a bit of competition. Penky [National minister Chris Penk] is pretty good as well. There’s some good ones around. I’m famously pretty neutral about all that stuff. But I do get on well with this guy [indicating Bishop] and I get on well with Mr Penk as well.“ 

Bishop tried to intervene to ask for other questions, but Brown continued. 

“What I would really like is that the public of New Zealand chooses the Prime Minister instead of Winston Peters doing it. That’d be good.“ 

Auckland Mayor Wayne Brown, National MP Chris Bishop, and former National leader and NZTA chair Simon Bridges. Photo / Michael Craig 

Asked whether had heard from his caucus colleagues since his media event earlier this morning, Bishop said he could give the media a “running commentary” of what he had been doing in the time in between. 

“I got in the car, then I had a coffee, and then I prepared for my speech here and got myself familiar with the details of this project and I then called my wife and checked in my sick daughter, and that’s pretty much it for the past hour.“ 

He said he’d have another event later on Tuesday and could provide further commentary then. 

It follows revelations from the Herald last night that discontented National MPs were hitting the phones on Monday about a potential leadership change. 

One MP said, “there’s going to be change” in the top job, but it was a “question of who is going to be it”. They cited senior National MPs Bishop and Erica Stanford as potential front-runners. 

Both Bishop and Stanford have previously denied ambitions for the leadership, though caucus sources have said they believe both MPs are contenders despite their public statements. 

Other National MPs spoken to expressed openness to change, but did not say they were definitively in either camp, while an MP in Luxon’s camp disagreed with change. 

Former Prime Minister Sir John Key said reports he was phoning around for Luxon were "untrue". Photo / Dean Purcell 

Concern over Luxon’s leadership has been rumbling away all year, with the leader forcing a confidence vote on himself in April, which he survived. 

The Herald has been told by MPs that they believe the margin of that vote was 27 to 22 in favour of Luxon; however, the figure is kept confidential to the party whips. 

When the Herald put that vote margin to Luxon on Saturday, he responded: “All I know is I have the support of my caucus ... I just say to you I have the support of my caucus.” 

The latest round of speculation appears to have been triggered by the leader’s out-of-the-blue announcement last week that he wanted a referendum on the country’s electoral system if re-elected. 

That came as a surprise to his own MPs, who gave differing answers afterwards as to whether it was party policy. 

It also followed Luxon belittling the concerns of business at a Rotorua event – for which he later apologised – and a story from the Herald revealing he’d used a Defence Force plane to get home from a National Party fundraiser. 

On Sunday, Luxon and his finance spokeswoman Nicola Willis fronted a press conference to talk about the party’s fiscal rules, which included keeping taxes low, but couldn’t rule out increasing taxes. 

Luxon less than 24 hours later clarified potential tax increases were limited to fuel excise, an accommodation levy, and a tax on banks.