Chris Hipkins’ announcement yesterday that Labour would not work with New Zealand First was in one sense redundant: Winston Peters had some time ago ruled out working with Labour. But its true design of course was something else: to launch salvos against parties and individuals in what the Labour leader branded the “coalition of fear”, and heap pressure on Christopher Luxon over his refusal to answer the question of whether National could work with New Zealand First after the election.
On Newstalk ZB this morning, Mike Hosking tried the question again, half a dozen times with increasing exasperation. Luxon said NZ First was not above the 5% in National’s internal polls and he was “quite relaxed” about the issue, “just not entertaining any thinking about them at all”.
Hosking: “You’re going: oh-no-no, I’m not doing this, and we’re not above we’re not below, you’re not being decisive and people want decisiveness.” Luxon: “I’m being really decisive. I’m saying to you really clearly: party vote National.”
Hosking again: “Putting your fingers in your ears going la-lat-la-la isn’t going to solve your problem. Your problem is you’re leaving open the possibility for voters to think, maybe he’s going to go with this clown. Why would you do that? Why would you take that risk?”
“Yeah, but Mike, look at the polls.”
“I am looking at the polls!”
“The people are saying, National and Act, they’re good with.”
Luxon said Hipkins’ attack of yesterday was the act of a desperate man, “wanting to create some fear-mongering, throwing stuff at a wall to see what sticks, and being negative and personal.”