About this episode

The episode discusses the challenges faced by Prime Minister Christopher Luxon regarding his media image as the election approaches.

It’s 208 days until Kiwis hit the polls and vote for the next Government. And despite campaigning not officially starting, the Prime Minister’s performance has been called into question, time and time again. Accusations range from Luxon leaning too much into corporate speak and acting like a CEO to dodging questions, and even dodging  entire press conferences during a global fuel crisis to open a stadium. With flubbed media interviews going viral, Christopher Luxon’s behaviour is being put under a microscope. So much so that there are whisperings of a coup.  Can one man’s public image impact an entire party? And who’s been sent in to help National months ahead of election day?   Today on The Front Page, NZ Herald Editor-at-Large, and Media Insider, Shayne Currie is with us to break down Luxon’s trials and tribulations, and how he might turn them around. Follow The Front Page on iHeartRadio, Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. You can read more about this and other stories in the New Zealand Herald, online at…

People in this episode

Host: Chelsea Daniels

Guest: Shayne Currie

Topics covered

• media image
• politics
• election
• public perception
• government
• New Zealand

Keywords

• Luxon
• media image
• New Zealand politics
• election campaign
• public perception
• press conferences
• government

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: NZ Herald, NZME

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• The new age of car buying: EVs, hybrids and the end of old myths · April 22, 2026 · 27 min
• Luxon survives confidence vote, but questions remain · April 21, 2026 · 17 min
• Government quietly moves to cut Treaty principles from some laws · April 20, 2026 · 16 min
• Are we buying the wrong cars in the fuel crisis EV boom? · April 17, 2026 · 23 min

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