Francesca Rudkin: It's been a busy 12 months for the new Government

Tomorrow marks 12 months since the election which saw the country take a step to the to the right, with Christopher Luxon’s coalition coming into power. During the week, I've read numerous opinion pieces reflecting on politics in NZ under both Hipkins and Luxon’s leadership. We know it has taken the Prime Minister time to grasp the nuances of politics - but credit where credit’s due, he’s rip-roaring through his to do list. So, it seems odd there’s chat about how long he will last in the job, or who else should be leader. That these topics keep popping up suggests the leadership of both National and Labour isn't quite hitting the mark. Peter Dunne wrote a piece on Newsroom titled Why Luxon Won’t Outstay his Welcome, sharing his thoughts on why Christopher Luxon is unlikely to be a long-term Prime Minister. He also points out the pros and cons of having non-career politicians in power. Dunne wrote - “The positive aspect of this non-careerist approach is politicians who are focused on achieving the policy goals dear to them, and not outstaying their public welcome”. He went on to say, “The counter is that the value of political experience in resolving awkward situations is insufficiently appreciated.” Off the back of the Mood of the Boardroom survey, which ranked Luxon sixth in the rankings of Cabinet Ministers’ KPI’s, Matthew Hooten, writing in the Herald, suggested some alternative leadership names.  He wrote that neither Luxon nor Hipkins seem up to the leadership required – but he was impressed with the seriousness shown by National’s Nicola Willis and Labour’s Barbara Edmonds in their portfolios.  Looking back on the political year, it’s been fast and furious. It takes some effort to keep up with what has been repealed, paused, fast-tracked or implemented. We’ve had tax cuts, inflation drop, the return of roads, changes to the Smokefree policy, benefit reform, public service cuts, the Fast Track Approvals Bill, Law and Order legislation, replacement of the RMA, budget blowouts at Health NZ, a reset for education - and more besides. If you had to describe the last 12 months, I’d call it busy. The coalition has done a good job identifying the core issues facing the country, but whether their approaches to fixing these problems will be successful - only time will tell. The Taxpayers' Union-Curia poll released on Friday showed support for National and Christopher Luxon dropping. I tend to take polls with a grain of salt, but it’s another indication New Zealanders aren’t entirely convinced about National’s leadership. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.