Mike's Minute: Time to go back to the bigger picture for the election

Author: Mike Hosking,
Publish Date: Mon, 17 Aug 2026, 9:07am

This should be it for coup gate questioning of the Prime Minister.

Bruce Cotterill's piece over the weekend in the NZ Herald I hope, and more importantly actually I think, represents a growing feeling in this country among middle New Zealand that the superficiality of what the media obsess in is not really what counts. And what counts is the record and, as Bruce very clearly lays out, the record is not a bad one - from crime, to education, to exports there is a very good story to be told.

Perhaps, and the Government might want to work a bit harder on this, the only story this election outside the record of achievement is tax.

One side want to tax us more.

The side in Government doesn’t.

It's that simple. In a country that has been through what we have for the past seven or so years, we are fed up with tax and the constant raiding of our pockets by people who have no other ideas than having you and I pay for everything.

Anyway Luxon was at our Newstalk ZB 100th party on Friday night and everyone commented on his speech, which was kind, self deprecating and funny. "Why couldn’t we see more of that," they asked.

My answer is the country is not a party and when you see the Prime Minister he isn't giving birthday speeches. It’s the old issue they have argued all along; meet the bloke and you like him but watch him in a 20 second news clip and he can look troubled.

My guess from the mood in the room on Friday is it was the opposite of what you probably read over the weekend, which was "Luxon is done for", "National are mortally wounded".

I think last Wednesday enhanced Luxon. It showed balls, it showed self-belief and it showed courage. Most of us like that stuff.

In a caucus of 48 does he have some self-absorbed dickheads? Yes, but that’s not his fault.

It's not a reason to be derailed. The big picture should never be interrupted .by the trials and tribulations of the small-thinker.

By the time we vote this will be yet another non-event in a campaign full of things we thought were a big deal, until they weren't.

If you're bullish, and I am, last Wednesday could be the making of him.

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