Kate Hawkesby: Sam Uffindell is back, what are the lessons for National here?

I’m not sure what was more interesting yesterday – the revelation that the Sam Uffindell allegations amounted to nothing and didn’t stack up, or the pasting Luxon got by the press gallery afterwards. The press gallery by the end of it had delivered what should serve as a warning to Luxon as to how election year might go for him. The press pack were not really having a bar of Luxon, or the report, or Uffindell, or the National Party. They were looking for a conspiracy, they demanded to know why the report would not be released, despite Luxon spelling out at the very beginning that the report was confidential to protect complainants and those interviewed, therefore it would not be released. Reporters went ahead anyway; demanding to know how many flat mates were interviewed, when, where, who.. all of which Luxon kept explaining he could not go into detail on, or even knew, given the report was conducted independently by Maria Dew KC. But the barrage of questions continued. Look, it was refreshing to see the press gallery spring to life and give a good verbal battering, but no surprises it took a National party leader to illicit that response. You could forgive Luxon for looking bewildered at times, none more acutely than when a reporter started demanding he explain why he would allow Uffindell his job back, when that amounted to one law for Māori and one law for National. She said that Māori don’t get afforded the same privilege of second chances, yet National was happy to give Uffindell a second chance, but the party, she said, took such a strong stance on crime and law and order, therefore it was a double standard.  Luxon pointed out she was conflating two issues, and that as a party they could be strong on law and order, while at the same time also allowing back into Caucus a man exonerated by an independent report who had committed no crime. The reporter may have had a point if Uffindell had not been exonerated, but she seemed to think this showed racism or a double standard. After Luxon explained again she was conflating two issues, she interrupted and insisted he answer the question as to why there’s one law for Māori and one law for National. At this point I personally would have given up on the press conference, but Luxon reiterated again, that she was conflating two issues. He looked as confused as the next person. So what did we end up with yesterday? Exoneration for a man accused and vilified; one, shows us how easy it is to get cancelled these days by a media mauling over and above a fair trial, and two, how if said media don’t like the outcome, you will get mauled all over again anyway. It was also a salient lesson for Chris Luxon on how to handle press conferences. Not all questions are good ones, not all questions are worth answering, sometimes reigning in a room of shouty exercised journalists is a good idea. Jacinda Ardern can do this largely I guess due to more experience, but also, she knows how to work it. She works the room in her favour, she knows when to close a conference, she knows when to deflect. She doesn’t allow reporters to cut her off mid-sentence, like they did with Luxon. Naivety and politeness from the Nats leader may hold him back. It’s a brawl out there, yesterday exemplified just how rocky it can and will get. So before the next round, Luxon would be well served to (a) have his wits about him and expect it, and (b) harden up.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.