Are Peters and Luxon on a collision course?

About this episode

The episode discusses the political landscape in New Zealand as the election approaches amidst climate challenges and geopolitical issues.

As Christopher Luxon announced an election date of November 7, a strip of the North Island was under siege from another bout of brutal weather. As the clean-up and recovery continues, and families and communities grieve the loss of nine lives, questions swirl around the response. In the first Gone By Lunchtime for 2026, Annabelle Lee-Mather, Ben Thomas and Toby Manhire assess that response, and ask whether the bigger picture around climate adaptation and mitigation will filter through the forthcoming campaign. The year begins, meanwhile, with incessant geopolitical disorder emanating from the White House. As Mark Carney sets out his stall in compelling fashion at Davos, what does the Canadian prime minister's "new world order" approach have in common with Christopher Luxon's, where do they differ, and is New Zealand's prime minister on an election-year collision course with a foreign minister set upon below-parapet foreign relations and flirting with the thought of quitting the World Health Organisation? Speaking of Winston Peters, his New Zealand First Party has enjoyed a bump in recent polling. Could they emulate the populist-nationalist trends in Australia and the UK and climb…

People in this episode

Hosts: Annabelle Lee-Mather, Ben Thomas, Toby Manhire

Topics covered

• election
• climate adaptation
• geopolitical disorder
• New Zealand politics
• Winston Peters
• polling trends

Keywords

• Christopher Luxon
• Winston Peters
• New Zealand politics
• climate change
• Davos
• election date
• polling

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: New Zealand First Party, World Health Organisation

Places: New Zealand, Australia, UK

More episodes of Gone By Lunchtime

• Hardcore lobbying and the emotional senior staffer · June 5, 2026 · 49 min
• Budget special with Bernard Hickey · May 28, 2026 · 35 min
• Live at Auckland Writers Festival with Tova O'Brien guest star · May 21, 2026 · 1h 6m
• Jane Wrightson on Super squabbles, Seymour and the state of the media · May 18, 2026 · 43 min
• The book everyone, politicians especially, should read in 2026 · May 12, 2026 · 39 min
• The deepest breach in the Luxon coalition, and a National reboot · May 6, 2026 · 56 min