Christopher Luxon: Prime Minister stands by his reused Waitangi speech and the statement criticising China

The Prime Minister is talking up the conversations had behind the scenes at Waitangi as he comes under fire for what he said publicly.  

Christopher Luxon used extracts from last year's speech, which he says he has no regrets for. 

He expects to do the same in the future such as his Anzac Day speech. 

Luxon told Mike Hosking that while in Northland, he had some good conversations on housing and water storage in the region. 

He says there was some pretty inspiring conversations about problems and then potential solutions. 

He's also standing by a statement criticising China.  

The joint statement by Foreign Minister Winston Peters, Defence Minister Judith Collins and their Australian counterparts criticised China for eroding freedoms in Hong Kong and the repression of the Uyghur people.  

The Chinese Embassy in Wellington says it strongly deplores and firmly opposes the statement.  

But Luxon told Hosking that he supports the statement.  

He says New Zealand's been consistent in its position both publicly and privately, and he thinks it's a good statement. 

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