Prime Minister Christopher Luxon, facing poor poll results and questions about his leadership, says he understands not everyone wants to go for a drink with him but says his MPs back him.
He maintained at his weekly post-Cabinet media briefing this afternoon that he has the “full support” of his caucus.
“I am not going to be the person that everyone wants to go for a beer with,” he said. “But they know that I am leading a Government that is a great custodian of this economy.”
The results of the 1News Verian poll show that if an election were to be held today the left bloc would knock the coalition out of power. (Source: 1News)
Education Minister Erica Stanford, also present at the briefing, was asked if she had been contacted by colleagues about challenging for the leadership. She said: “No.”
“He is doing an excellent job,” she said of Luxon.
Earlier today he said a handful of his National MPs may be behind damaging leaks about his leadership, as vowed he would not step down "no matter what happens" before November's election.
Christopher Luxon spoke to Breakfast’s Tova O'Brien about the latest numbers. (Source: Breakfast)
In a round of morning interviews, Luxon conceded he and his party needed to do better after Monday night's 1News Verian poll suggested National could drop to its worst result under his leadership and put the coalition government out of power.
He again repeated he had not had conversations with party whip Stuart Smith about his position and said his suggestion earlier in the day that five National MPs were disgruntled was only quoting numbers used in the media.
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