Barry Soper: ZB senior political correspondent on Luxon avoiding paying a bright-line tax on his Wellington apartment

The Prime Minister seems to have narrowly avoided a large tax bill for selling his Wellington apartment.

He paid $795,000 for it in 2020, and 1News reports it's been sold for $975,000.

When it was purchased, a five-year bright-line test applied - under which Luxon would have owed $70,000 in tax.

ZB senior political correspondent Barry Soper says Luxon seems proud to defend this apartment sale.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
News books, he'd be senior political correspondent. Barry Soper is
here in studio with this scruff and sir Jack. So
Christopher Luxen has hit back at some of the questions
about his various properties, and I'm pleased.

Speaker 2 (00:11):
To see he has had some pushback on this, because look,
this man earned several million dollars a year when he
was the Sea of in New Zealand. He was also
a CEO Unilever. The man, you know, when he came
back to take on this job at a fraction of
the salary of the Prime Minister's job, you know, it

(00:33):
seems to have been held against him the amount of
properties he's got. He's got seven properties, and we've since
found out today he's sold two of them. One was
the Kate Shepherd apartment that he occupied around the corner
from Premiere House, so he's now sold that. And there's
an outcry that he avoided the bright line test because

(00:54):
the National government changed it to back what it used
to be at two years labor extended it to five years,
which is as de facto capital gains takes anyway. So
you know, if he was wise and if he didn't
want to, if it was still at five years. Of
course he wouldn't have been selling the Khibit department. I mean,

(01:15):
that's what anybody would do. He didn't need to sell it.
He thought, well, I'm not living there anymore, so why not.
And I've got to say Luxeon's making no apologize apologies
for selling his apartment out a profit, which of course
he shouldn't. Here he is with Heather this.

Speaker 3 (01:29):
Morning the parents at school sixteen.

Speaker 4 (01:31):
I went to university, did well in the world, successful,
get it right, and I've chosen to come to politics
because i want to add back to New Zealand.

Speaker 3 (01:36):
So that's my reason for it.

Speaker 4 (01:38):
But if we're going to criticize people for being successful,
and you know, let's be clear.

Speaker 3 (01:43):
You know I'm wealthy, I'm sorted. Have you seen what
your Cinda's doing?

Speaker 1 (01:46):
Chris? After this, you can you can go on a
speaking circuit. No, look, you can make as much in
one gig speaking as you do on your property.

Speaker 4 (01:54):
Like that won't be my figures. There's a lot of
other things to do bost politics. But right now I
am absolutely determined.

Speaker 3 (01:59):
We have a great future. We've got a great potential
on this joint.

Speaker 2 (02:02):
And I'll tell you I'll tell you in a sec
what Jasinda Dern is allegedly making speaking on that circuit.
But look, the politics of envy, in my view, is
alive and well, and it certainly wasn't a stand up
in Auckland yesterday with this question probably the dumbest I've
heard for a long time.

Speaker 3 (02:21):
Are you enjoying the sky TV? Sorry? Are you enjoying
the Sky TV? For what purpose? What's your question about?
I haven't. I've just moved into Premier.

Speaker 2 (02:30):
House so he didn't have the chance to watch it.
And if anybody suggests that the Prime Minister shouldn't be
getting Sky TV, they need their head red because this
man has got to keep up with what's going on
in the Middle East, he's got to keep up around
the world. He's not going to get it from TV
and Z, He's not going to get it from TV three.
So you know, are we going to now the grudgeam

(02:53):
getting sky TV? But Jasin Dern Yes. On that international circuit, Jack,
you'll be pleased to hear that she apparently has joined
the top tier of political celebrities and international speakers, and
one of the organizations they claim to represent Dern on
the Asian market told the media that Durn's fee for

(03:16):
events was about three one hundred and sixteen thousand dollars
for getting up beating her gums. Honestly, I mean, if
that's true, all I can say, I know you're a
bit of a fan of just no, no, no. All
I can say is hopefully for this international speaking circuit,

(03:37):
she says more to them and more interesting than she
was when she was in this country. But the thing
isn't it she had this international celebrity. I traveled with
her throughout her Prime ministership overseas. They loved her because
she was young, she had a child out of wedlock
to some of them that used to want her to

(03:58):
come in and discuss the pros and cons that. So
she's famous internationally and cashing in.

Speaker 1 (04:06):
On it very quickly. John Key is pecking a Donald
Trump win.

Speaker 2 (04:10):
Yeah, sort of reluctantly in a way. He said that
if you talk the economy, he would prefer Donald Trump.
Although the tariffs that Donald Trump has been promising up
to sixty percent in the case mainly of Chinese, but
ten percent with the likes of New Zealand. You know,
he said he'll probably come in economics for New Zealand

(04:34):
though is not going to be great.

Speaker 1 (04:36):
No, Hey, thank you so much very I appreciate your time.
As always, Barry Sober at seven to five For more
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