Jono, Ben & Megan - The Podcast - Chris Luxon, New Zealand's Latest Prime Minister!

Episode Date: October 15, 2023

We chat to NZ's newest prime minister Chris Luxon after his successful weekend!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Prime Minister, Christopher Luxon, good morning. Good morning, how are you today guys? How's that feel? Someone saying you're the Prime Minister, has that sunk in yet? Look, yeah, it has. It sinks in very quickly because the whole thing is it feels like now I've passed the job interview and now I'm ready to go. I've got a real job. You're like, oh God, what have I done? Now for a while, you know, you were helping us out over the last couple of years, dressing up like Jono from time to time.

I feel like that's going to stop now. Oh, I reckon we can carry on, can't we? I feel like that's what the old Christopher Lux... Now you're the Prime Minister, Christopher. I suspect we'll still have a lot of fun. I think we've got to take the job very seriously, but we don't have to take ourselves that seriously. Oh, good on you, because you pitched us a prank.

You were like, come to Wellington, you can swap out in the Cabinet meeting. I feel like that might not happen. I think that could be. We should still strive to make it happen, don't you reckon? It could be quite fun. How was Saturday night? You know, everyone, it seemed like, around the country watching it. It was really fascinating to see how it was rolling out.

Afterwards, how were you feeling? I mean, I know you don't drink, but you must be buzzing. It's a really big day. I mean, for me, it was actually, in many ways, it's quite a lovely day because it's for the first time in literally six months, you're just not doing the normal routine, which is up at 4.30 and out and about doing your work. So for me, I got to sleep into 6.30, which was great.

And then went for a walk with Amanda. And then John Key very kindly came over with some white bait that he'd obviously stolen from somewhere and thought that I might need. And so we had a good chat and catch up at home. And then you're really into it from there. The staff come over and we watch the results together and then events take over as you go through the night. Do you write that speech?

When do you write that speech? I actually sort of had thought about that a few weeks earlier and sort of what I wanted to say and then perfected it and then sort of drafted it out over the afternoon. And then we sort of ended up actually coming back home, the four of us, about two o'clock in the morning and as a family just having a quick chat and it was lovely. Is it like, whew?

It is. It's quite a relief. No, it's a fantastic privilege and I'm just so excited about it because we do genuinely have a fantastic country. We should be so proud about New Zealand and we've got so much potential in it and that's why I came to politics was to really give it a good go to make sure that we can New Zealand, and we've got so much potential in it, and that's why I came to politics, was to really give it a good go, to make sure that we can solve the problems that we've got and go forward positively. So there's a lot of work ahead of us, and there's some really tough things to face in too,

but we'll do that together. Chris Hipkins, does he call you? Do you have a conversation? Yeah, he was great. I mean, he called me and conceded the election, and I just thanked him for his service to New Zealand. I think it's people who step up into the arena and they sacrifice a lot and we may disagree on how to go about running the country and the things that take it forward,

but you've got to always respect the office and I think respect anyone who steps up and wants to do that job and is prepared to make all those sacrifices. So I thanked him for that and for his service to New Zealand and wish them well for his future. Speaking of you being around the world and jobs you've done,

they headline The Guardian, from selling deodorant to running the country. Were you a deodorant salesman? At least I'll do it smelling lovely. That was another headline I thought was interesting over the weekend. An article about how toned your wife Amanda's arms were. They're like, what's her fitness regime? Yeah, yeah, yeah.

I mean, she's super fit. Yeah, she'll get up into a 12K run in the morning, and then she's ready for the day. So, no, she's great. So where to now? Do you move into the big office? Does Chris Hipkins have to take down all his pictures of Tony, whoever Tony was?

Look, actually actually today is uh uh get down to wellington probably around midday-ish uh actually meet with the 20 new mps that are going to be coming and joining our team which is pretty exciting and then a little bit what we talked about before of the transition between the two two governments and just um with the existing government um you know there's a lot for us to get up to speed with and the all blacks of course are one over the weekend you're taking some credit for that, getting that back on track too that was your slogan Yeah exactly, the last National Government we didn't lose a World Cup under

so I did say to you guys at one point that could be my last week campaign promise that under a National Government we won't lose World Cups, but yeah it was fantastic to see wasn't it It's been an incredible tournament actually Can I ask one last question too, there was billboards all over town which had Christopher Luxon out of touch. It was a very evil-looking photo of you.

When did you take this black-and-white photo? I don't know. It did look very villainous, didn't it? I thought it was an ad for you. I was like, interesting photo they've gone with. It's a very interesting strategy. Yeah, sure. He's got this.

But no, I think it was a photo. It looked like it was a photo from 2011 when I was at Air New Zealand. And I don't know whether it was doctored or a little bit to make it look more sort of sinister. You're probably glad that's all behind you now. And now you've got the big job of obviously running the country. It just continues. Congratulations. It is really exciting. I want to be a government that governs for all New Zealanders.

I said that on election night. I really mean that. My motivation for being here is I generally want the country to be better. And it'll be hard and there'll be tough parts and we'll get some things wrong and right but we've got to move forward and we've got to go forward positively well done congratulations and I know you're busy but can you do my weekly shop as well you seem to get some good deals at 60 bucks or something