Christopher Luxon’s polling has become a political flashpoint, with Wigram MP Megan Woods and Ilam MP Hamish Campbell clashing during an interview with Chris Lynch over what the numbers mean for the Prime Minister and the Government.

Woods pointed to the longer term trend rather than any single survey, saying the results were unusual for a first term leader.

“It’s not just the latest poll,” Woods said. “If you look at the series of polls and the trend, you really are seeing for a first term Prime Minister something that’s quite unprecedented in terms of that lack of popularity. It will be a worry for the National Party.”

“That has been the case for a long time now and for a first term government I think that is demonstrating what I’m hearing when I’m out door knocking,” Woods said. “People feel this is a government and a Prime Minister that’s out of touch, doesn’t understand what’s happening in their lives, they’re not focusing on those things that are important to them like their jobs access to health care housing but really the critical one is real action on the cost of living.”

Campbell rejected the suggestion Luxon’s standing would determine the political outcome, arguing polling alone did not reflect the broader picture.

“I’m getting a totally different message,” Campbell said. “Labour hasn’t learned from the lessons of the last government they want to tax more they want to spend more they drove our economy into the ditch and we’re in the middle of a tidy up job.”

“Polls bounce around all over the place and it doesn’t necessarily end up being the long term outcome at elections,” Campbell said.

Woods also questioned whether Luxon’s leadership had driven National’s election victory, suggesting voter frustration with Labour played a greater role.

“My gut feeling is the government didn’t win the election because of how popular Christopher Luxon was,” Woods said. “The government won the election because Labour happened to be not popular in the last election cycle.”

Campbell said leadership popularity was less important than economic recovery and pointed to the party focused nature of New Zealand politics.

“We don’t live in a presidential democracy,” Campbell said. “We have a party we have some really strong members across the board and I think what you’ll see is actually when as the economy turns around there’ll be a lot more support.”

The exchange underscored the growing political focus on Luxon’s polling and public perception, with both MPs offering sharply different views on whether the numbers reflect a temporary fluctuation or a deeper political challenge.

Christopher Luxon’s polling has become a political flashpoint, with Wigram MP Megan Woods and Ilam MP Hamish Campbell clashing during an interview with Chris Lynch over what the numbers mean for the Prime Minister and the Government.

Woods pointed to the longer term trend rather than any single survey, saying the results were unusual for a first term leader.

“It’s not just the latest poll,” Woods said. “If you look at the series of polls and the trend, you really are seeing for a first term Prime Minister something that’s quite unprecedented in terms of that lack of popularity. It will be a worry for the National Party.”

“That has been the case for a long time now and for a first term government I think that is demonstrating what I’m hearing when I’m out door knocking,” Woods said. “People feel this is a government and a Prime Minister that’s out of touch, doesn’t understand what’s happening in their lives, they’re not focusing on those things that are important to them like their jobs access to health care housing but really the critical one is real action on the cost of living.”

Campbell rejected the suggestion Luxon’s standing would determine the political outcome, arguing polling alone did not reflect the broader picture.

“I’m getting a totally different message,” Campbell said. “Labour hasn’t learned from the lessons of the last government they want to tax more they want to spend more they drove our economy into the ditch and we’re in the middle of a tidy up job.”

“Polls bounce around all over the place and it doesn’t necessarily end up being the long term outcome at elections,” Campbell said.

Woods also questioned whether Luxon’s leadership had driven National’s election victory, suggesting voter frustration with Labour played a greater role.

“My gut feeling is the government didn’t win the election because of how popular Christopher Luxon was,” Woods said. “The government won the election because Labour happened to be not popular in the last election cycle.”

Campbell said leadership popularity was less important than economic recovery and pointed to the party focused nature of New Zealand politics.

“We don’t live in a presidential democracy,” Campbell said. “We have a party we have some really strong members across the board and I think what you’ll see is actually when as the economy turns around there’ll be a lot more support.”

The exchange underscored the growing political focus on Luxon’s polling and public perception, with both MPs offering sharply different views on whether the numbers reflect a temporary fluctuation or a deeper political challenge.