Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has punished National MP and cabinet minister Chris Penk, accusing him of launching a leadership challenge.
Penk, widely said to be an up and comer, has had his ministerial portfolios removed.
“Chris Penk launched a leadership challenge this week, which resulted in today’s confidence vote. This makes his role untenable and as such I have removed his portfolios,” Luxon said.
Penk's Defence, Veterans, Space, GCSB, and NZSIS portfolios will go to Paul Goldsmith, and Simon Watts will become Minister for Building and Construction.
Luxon emerged from a lengthy National Party caucus meeting on Wednesday to say he remained the party's leader.
8 Comments
This is going to be NZ's first one-term govt since 1975. Quite astonishing really, given how many National MPs were voted into power just 3 short years ago. This is largely thanks to the poor leadership shown by of our prime minister. Today was National's last chance to salvage what is certainly going to be a heavy defeat in November's election.
Oh, you can tell the future! An amazing skill to have. Please, warn us of any upcoming catastrophies so we can prepare accordingly. Thanks.
I'm blessed really. Have tried to keep it quiet, but the cat's out of the bag now :-)
Well he would do that wouldn’t he. Knee jerk reaction attempting to impress all and sundry that there is a strong arm in office.So you had better watch out! You do not fix a problem by finding someone else to blame for your own shortcomings and which led directly to the situation of today. Sometimes I wonder if this Prime Minister schooled himself for a political career via the Junior Woodchuck Manual, that was so handy to Donald Duck’s nephews.
It's very cynical of them to think that the public is stupid enough to believe that Penk was the ring-leader
Fair
Oh so all those commentators saying this was just a media beat up can eat humble pie. Can’t trust any of them. If it’s not Simeone lying blatantly to Jack Tame it’s this muppet (and Erica and Bishop) flatly denying they wern’t behind a coup.
Engineered? They say this works well for Labour, but perhaps it makes the public feel pity for Luxon, and gets a lot of publicity for National. All publicity is good publicity?
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