A small but vocal group of protesters who waited outside the front entrance of the Dunedin Public Art Gallery yesterday to greet the prime minister, due there for a private event, missed their chance to accost him after he instead opted to use a back entrance to the venue.
Mr Luxon was subsequently well-received at the Otago Daily Times’ annual Class Act event, where he spoke and presented certificates to teenagers from schools across Otago — though he did not escape criticism entirely.
He was scolded by 18-year-old Hunor Peter, of Kaikorai Valley College, who was wearing a "They Save We Pay" hospital campaign pin, after Mr Luxon pointed at his pin and said: "Don’t you worry, we are going to build you a kick-arse hospital."
Hunor responded: "You better", before they chatted about his future plans to study biomedical science.
About 10 people at the gallery’s rear entrance yelled at Mr Luxon as he arrived, and again as he departed 90 minutes later.
Asked why the prime minister used the back entrance and whether he was advised to do so, his office declined to comment.
The move was labelled "cowardly" by protest organiser and Dunedin city councillor Steve Walker.
It was "completely inappropriate" for a prime minister to not front-up to protesters, he said.
"He’s cognisant of the fact that there is a voice in this city that he is unprepared to face up to and speak to and explain his side of the story.
"And we’re waiting patiently to hear that side of the story."
Class Act recipient Bridie McGeown, 17, of St Kevin’s College in Oamaru, told the ODT after the ceremony that Mr Luxon spoke "very well" and "had a great way of speaking to us and to our ages".
The type-1 diabetic said she had used the Dunedin Hospital regularly her whole life.
"It’s saved my life, really, on quite a few occasions."
She was "gutted, much like our hospital will be" about possible downgrades to the build.
It was "really important" for people in places like North Otago to have a quality hospital that could meet all their needs as close as possible.
The new Dunedin hospital build was a very complicated issue and had been a topic of discussion for many years, she said.
"I don’t think we can entirely lay the blame on Luxon himself and his government ... that kind of extremism really is going to get us nowhere as a country and will only divide us a bit more."
