Christopher Luxon may have survived the latest challenge to his leadership, but the Green Party says changing National’s leader would never have addressed what it sees as the real problem — the record of the entire coalition Government.
Luxon confirmed he would remain Prime Minister and National Party leader following intense speculation over his political future.
But Green Party co-leaders Chlöe Swarbrick and Marama Davidson say the focus on National’s leadership risks distracting from the decisions made collectively by National, ACT and New Zealand First during their term in government.
Swarbrick says every government MP must take responsibility for an unemployment rate at its highest level in more than a decade and the continuing cost-of-living pressure facing New Zealand households.
The Greens argue National’s internal leadership battle demonstrates a Government increasingly focused on its own political survival rather than the everyday pressures confronting communities.
Swarbrick says the coalition has had three years to deliver improvements but instead has pursued policies the Greens believe have benefited landlords while increasing household costs and weakening environmental protections.
The party is also attacking the Government over the state of the construction sector and its climate record, arguing emissions and environmental protections have moved in the wrong direction.
Another major point of contention is what the Greens describe as divisive culture wars.
The party says too much parliamentary time has been spent on issues that divide communities, while minority groups have faced increasing political pressure.
For Māori, many of those political battles have centred on Te Tiriti o Waitangi, te reo Māori, Māori health and policies specifically designed to address inequity.
Davidson says replacing Luxon with another National MP would not have changed the financial pressure facing families because the policies belong to the coalition rather than one individual.
Her argument is that the issue facing voters is not simply who leads National, but whether National, ACT and New Zealand First should remain in government after the November 7 election.
The Greens are positioning themselves as an alternative focused on reducing household bills, improving access to affordable groceries, electricity and housing, and strengthening environmental protections.
They also want greater scrutiny of large corporate profits and argue government should prioritise ordinary households over the wealthiest New Zealanders.
The intervention follows similar criticism from Te Pāti Māori, which has also argued Luxon surviving National’s leadership turmoil does not erase the Government’s record or restore public confidence.
With National now attempting to move beyond its internal leadership battle, opposition parties are making it clear they intend to keep attention firmly on the coalition’s record.
For the Greens, the message heading towards Election 2026 is that changing the person occupying the Prime Minister’s office was never going to be enough.
They want voters to change the Government instead.
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