Businessman Mr Luxon and his key ministers have been pushing matters along. His government’s quarterly to-do lists continue as the coalition changes the country’s policies across numerous areas. He wants to bring business vigour and rigour to governing. Being prime minister, though, is significantly different from his earlier role as Air New Zealand chief executive.
He has frequently demonstrated his political inexperience with missteps and off comments. He can be oblivious to key points, as he recently demonstrated in Dunedin on flooding matters.
His generalities, bluster and apparent gung-ho enthusiasm can irritate. While sociable, he lacks the natural ease of his mentor, former Prime Minister John Key.
Despite all this, a disinterested performance review of him and his government would note they ditched various Labour policies while also on track to deliver many of their own. Many of their own key performance indicators are being met. Mr Luxon is ploughing on.
This country is being reshaped by each policy. In the eyes of many this is for the better. New Zealand will be more efficient, open for business, and able to grow and prosper. For others, the coalition is a disaster for the environment, for worker rights, Māori rights, and proper process.
Mr Luxon has given them room to promote their views and make much of the running. Both parties might not suffer the drastic loss of support which usually accompanies minority parties in government.
However, Minister Casey Costello (New Zealand First) has been dubious and would surely have deservedly gone up in smoke if she was from National. Nicole McKee (Act), with conflicts of interest issues, is yet to convince that she should oversee gun law changes.
Inflation figures, showing this country back within the target 1% to 3% band, are fundamental to the way ahead. It has been a dismal couple of years, and the Reserve Bank through monetary policy has engineered the recession it deemed necessary.
Mr Luxon made several pledges before the election. When these are reviewed, rather than just solely focusing on reversed previous policies and introduced changes, the record is again mixed.
While inflation has decreased, the economy has not grown, nor have better-paying jobs been created. Limited ‘‘tax relief’’ was provided.
New roads of national significance are planned but nothing much new in the way of public transport.
Tackling gangs, establishing boot camps and limiting judges’ sentencing discounts are all under way, even if those measures will fail ‘‘to restore law and order’’ as promised.
Several changes are proceeding in education as the coalition follows through.
Health is always a huge challenge. We are far from seeing ‘‘waiting times cut’’ for healthcare. The Dunedin Hospital debacle is a weeping sore on the government’s reputation. Confusion over nursing numbers and the cancer drug funding U-turn point to a difficult field poorly managed.
National pledged to deliver Net Zero by 2050. Several coalition actions make this goal increasingly difficult.
Both Mr Luxon and the coalition failed to receive the standard post-election honeymoon. They will, though, have been pleased — despite poor economic times — to have retained most of their support. The weak opposition has helped. Labour is lacklustre and a run of fiascos has beset the Greens.
Although the coalition’s unpopular policies have already burnt through sizable political capital, the polls suggest they still have substantial backing.
One year on, the coalition has the opportunity to ride lower inflation, falling interest rates and increased confidence to the election. This is its next test.
