New Zealand got it wrong: The man vying to topple Jacinda Ardern and open up the nation – Sydney Morning Herald

He pointed to the trade partnerships that Australia and Britain had signed with India as an example of where New Zealand had lapsed.

We just havent been out and about hustling as we would have been in the past, he said.

He praised Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong for her impressive travel schedule since Labor won office, saying she had set an example for her New Zealand counterpart, and also praised Arderns travel to Europe for the recent NATO summit and talks in London, and the dialogue in Sydney.

Its actually her job as our chief salesperson to go off and do that job well, he said. And we need to do that because we actually are restarting post-COVID. Its not a rebuild, its a restart.

Its about not taking an assumption that everythings going to come back as it once was.

New Zealand was one of the first democracies to eliminate community transmission of COVID-19 through harsh lockdowns and shutting borders, at times, even to its own citizens.

Loading

It was a policy that Australian governments copied in July 2020. The measures made it costly and sometimes impossible for citizens of both countries to return home, even in desperate circumstances.

Arderns approach gained worldwide attention when the Kiwi journalist Charlotte Bellis revealed shed had to turn to the Taliban for sanctuary to deliver her baby because she was struggling to return to her homeland.

Luxon, who ran Air New Zealand and rose through the ranks at Unilever after beginning his career in Wellington, has worked in Sydney, London, Chicago and Toronto. He said the treatment of Kiwis overseas during the pandemic was cruel and brutal and had exposed a first- and second-class category of citizenship.

Youve got a million overseas at any one point in time, so its a team of 6 million not 5 million, he said, referring to Arderns rallying cry to New Zealands team of 5 million to inspire lockdown compliance.

Loading

First and foremost, we think the government should apologise just acknowledge that we got it wrong that would be a good first step.

And then I think there is a good conversation to be had about making sure that that wouldnt happen again.

He said a ministry could be made responsible for the Kiwi diaspora as well as loosening the rules that forbid Kiwis from voting in elections if they havent been home in the previous three years.

Luxon took over as leader in November last year and his party hassurged in the polls, with the opposition leading for the first time since the beginning of the pandemic.

He rejected suggestions that his stale, male, pale characteristics would be a drawback against Ardern.

Theres no doubt the prime minister has great communication skills, but New Zealanders want more than that, he said.

Spaces in government-managed isolation and quarantine facilities were limited during New Zealands pandemic border closures.Credit:AP

He said he was focusing on fielding a diverse list of candidates at the next election, saying his commercial experience had proven that diversity brought with it richer thinking.

He pledged to approach politics with civility, identifying it as the key to staving off the political instability that had infected Australian, British and American politics.

I always believe you can disagree without being disagreeable and I know that might sound trite, but it is actually really serious, he said.

Loading

The reason Ive come into politics is because I care deeply about my country and I want the country to realise maximum potential, economically, socially and environmentally.

New Zealand is expected to go to the polls late next year.

Go here to see the original:

New Zealand got it wrong: The man vying to topple Jacinda Ardern and open up the nation - Sydney Morning Herald