Perspective with Heather du Plessis-Allan: We've got to stop nitpicking legitimate uses of Defence Force flights

Author: Heather du Plessis-Allan,
Publish Date: Wed, 5 Aug 2026, 7:14pm

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Prime Minister Christopher Luxon defending his use of Defence Force aircraft during a media standup at Parliament, Wellington, New Zealand, August 05, 2026: Herald photograph by Mark Mitchell

Well, I've come back from holiday to find Christopher Luxon having the week from hell, haven't I? The small business comments, the Winston Peters "go back to where you came from" comments and now Choppergate.

The latest with Choppergate, by the way, is that the event Chris Luxon was telling Mike Hosking about on Monday, where he finished up in Whanganui at 10:30 and then had to get back to Auckland, was in fact a National Party fundraiser.

Now, that would be a big no-no if he were using a Defence Force flight to get to a National Party fundraiser because you can't use Defence Force aircraft to get yourself re-elected, can you? But it is not a no-no because that is not what he was doing.

He was using the flight not to get to the fundraiser but to get from the fundraiser to an event in Auckland the next day. His office says that was a prime ministerial event and that makes it acceptable.

As far as I'm concerned, prime ministers should be allowed to use the Defence Force, within reason, to get around the place. The Defence Force has to keep those aircraft flying. They have to complete a certain number of flying hours and surely, if the choice is between flying for the sake of it or flying for an actual reason, the practical option is to choose the actual reason. That's what this is.

Also, come on, we've got to stop nitpicking legitimate uses of things like Defence Force flights, for God's sake.

Whether you like Christopher Luxon or not, whether you vote for him or not, he is the Prime Minister. That is the most senior elected position in New Zealand. It is a job that requires constant travel and work.

The Defence Force should be flying him around the place to cut down his travel time, simply so he can use that time for something more productive. It is neither novel nor new that this happens.

Go and watch the Jacinda documentary on Netflix. She gets picked up from Clarke's parents' holiday home in Gisborne in a Defence Force chopper. Prime ministers have been flown around the country, and around the world, by the Defence Force for decades.

It says more about us, I think, than it does about Chris Luxon that this is an issue. Now, the other two issues Luxon is dealing with this week are proper problems that do warrant debate: his small business comments and Winston Peters' racist comments.

But this, Choppergate, is just nitpicking.

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