Peter Dunne: Political Commentator and former Cabinet Minister on Christopher Luxon's comments around MMP

Is the Prime Minister fed up with his coalition partners? 

Christopher Luxon told Kerre Woodham yesterday he's open to another vote on MMP, if re-elected.  

The system allows more representation in Parliament for smaller parties and was upheld in a 2011 referendum. 

Political commentator and former Cabinet Minister Peter Dunne told Mike Hosking Luxon's clearly frustrated. 

Dunne says he thought he'd be leading a strong National government, supported by others, instead of the three-way coalition he signed up for. 

Luxon’s also being described as having loose lips. 

Dunne told Hosking he’s let a lot of comments slip recently appearing to just blurt things out and mop up afterwards – including abruptly ruling out working with the Opportunity Party. 

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
So how about old Luckso I having had a hellish
week on the apology front from the road to rue routing,
he goes and ends the week by pulling the old
MMP rabbit out of the hat and sets Wellington like
Peter dunpolitical commentator as where's Peter? Good morning?

Speaker 2 (00:11):
Good morning mate?

Speaker 1 (00:12):
Do you reckon? This was deliberate and frustration or he
just got a bit loose on the old talkback.

Speaker 2 (00:16):
But of both? Really, I think he is frustrated with
the way things have gone over the last three years.
I think he thought he'd be managing a very strong
National led coalition with New Zealand First and A being
bit players. It hasn't quite worked out that way, so
he's frustrated at that, and I think just sort of
slipped out as one of those off the top of
the head ideas that he'd been mulling around for some time.

Speaker 1 (00:36):
Could you argue that, given we're allegedly going to vote
for a three or four year term anyway, why not
tag this on the end and it's actually no big deal.

Speaker 2 (00:43):
Well you could argue that, But if you were going
to argue that, I would have thought you'd have made
that argument at the time that you announced you're having
the referendum on the four year term. I'm treated the
fact that this court everyone, including his own team, by
a measure of surprise, suggests that it wasn't part of
that original plan.

Speaker 1 (00:58):
Is this a leadership issue for him? Giving he started
the week with the problem he ends the week. If
you accept your argument with a problem, I think what.

Speaker 2 (01:06):
It confirms in a lot of people's minds is that
there's not a clear pattern of leadership there that he
you know, the loose lips thing on last week. This
week we had the parent ruling out of the Opportunity
Party without consultation with the party of the week before.
It looks like there's not so much a problem. It

(01:27):
seems to seem to sort of blurt out and then
we sort of mop up afterwards.

Speaker 1 (01:30):
What about the see I might disagree with you on
this as well. I would argue broadly that they've run
the coalition. Well, this is the first example three parties.
You know what, Peter, is this going to do? I mean, overall,
it's not the end of the world, does it? And
this was to be expected.

Speaker 2 (01:47):
Look, I think they have run the coalition well. I
think the fact that it's achieved when you look at
the record, quite a lot. But I think for Luxon's mind,
what he thought he was going to be leading was,
as I say, a big in national government supported by others,
not a three way coalition, even though they signed up
to that deal. And I think what we're seeing is
his frustration that hasn't quite worked out as he intended,

(02:09):
even though I think that, as you said, there are
runs on the board they can they can certainly crow
about at election time. But I think that's the frustration.
But having said that, you don't say, well, it hasn't
quite worked out as I wanted, So let's just change
the whole system.

Speaker 1 (02:24):
Let's play a game just for the sake of it.

Speaker 2 (02:26):
On.

Speaker 1 (02:27):
Let's say we vote tomorrow on three or four years
and the MMP I would argue, we won't go for four,
and we won't go for FPP.

Speaker 2 (02:34):
You say what I'd say, We'd go for four, but
we won't change the electoral system because he doesn't even
see where he wants to change it to. So I
think we'll end up with four, but not a change
to the electoral system.

Speaker 1 (02:46):
Always a great pleasure. Peter go Well, Peter Dunnpolitical commentator
for Me United, future leader of course. For more from
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