Perspective with Heather du Plessis-Allan: Does Erica Stanford deserve the backlash?

Author: Heather du Plessis-Allan,
Publish Date: Sun, 16 Aug 2026, 3:28pm

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Education Minister Erica Stanford. Photo / Alyse Wright

So Erica Stanford denies she was preparing to stand for leader in the coup against Chris Luxon.

Now, no one with two eyes and even a basic understanding of politics is going to believe that story, because Erica Stanford was the only person whose name was in the leadership mix who refused to express confidence in Chris Luxon. Chris Bishop did. Mark Mitchell did. Even Chris Penk did. But not Erica Stanford.

And if you remember, Erica Stanford publicly told Luxon off over the small business comments.

The rumour that's been going around Wellington since the start of this year was basically that Erica Stanford was going to make her move on Chris Luxon in August, three months out from the election. Because I heard that rumour, that's why I predicted there would be a coup in August all the way back in April.

No one is going to buy Erica Stanford's story.

But that doesn't mean Erica Stanford deserves the anger that I can see she's receiving from some quarters. Her actions, I think, were only rational for a senior minister in a party facing what this party is facing.

If you believe the One News Verian poll, which put National at 29 percent, and various other polls that have also put it at 29 percent, the party is on track to lose a lot of MPs in November. That means losing a lot of power around the Cabinet table.

Much of that is the fault of the Prime Minister and his performance. So I think it is only rational for her, and others, to want a new leader.

I don't even think Chris Penk deserves the vitriol he's received. He is, if you believe the stories, the only person who had the courage of his convictions to stand up in caucus and challenge the Prime Minister in person.

He's the only one who put his head above the parapet and was honourable about it. He's also done the honourable thing by owning his role in the coup and quitting altogether because he knows his ongoing presence would further undermine the Prime Minister.

That took courage.

Now, I'm not saying it was the right thing for him to do, launching a coup. I'm not saying this wasn't a disaster. It was a complete disaster. It has left the National Party worse off than it would have been had it not happened.

But it was the rational response to a leader who is underperforming and taking the party down with him.

And if the protagonists deserve anger for anything, it is for losing their bottle and losing their courage at the last moment.

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