Editorial: National Party leader Christopher Luxon left waiting for a break

EDITORIAL

A droll social media comment once referred to the then-freshly elected National Party leader Christopher Luxon as "Old Lucky" and the sobriquet gets droller by the day.

At the annual National Party conference in Christchurch on Sunday, a relaxed and confident Luxon declared his party united, committed and "really humming".

On Monday night, more good vibes flowed with his party favoured by 37 per cent ahead of Labour on 33 per cent in the latest 1 News/Kantar political poll. Headlines declaring National could govern with Act Party support must have made great breakfast reading.

After some confusion over tax cuts and spending priorities, National appeared to have tidied up the messaging and was making grounds with public concerns over ongoing struggles with rising inflation, a worker shortage and a health sector in crisis.

But the humming broke into discord on Monday afternoon when Luxon was informed of new Tauranga MP Sam Uffindell's brute past.

In the moments ticking down to Stuff breaking the story, Luxon and his deputy Nicola Willis were told Uffindell had been kicked out of Kings College – or "asked to leave" - when he was 16 in 1999 after a cowardly pack beating of a 13-year-old third former.

An interview with the victim voiced scepticism about whether an apology Uffindell offered last year was genuine or pure political expedience.

What Uffindell did was repugnant but - given his apparently sincere apologies, repeated to media in the past 48 hours - not unforgivable. It is understandable that a victim of such an attack would be appalled that the perpetrator would be selected as a candidate to be a Member of Parliament. It is, naturally, up to Uffindell's victim whether he forgives.

Less forgivable is the way this has been handled by the National Party. The Tauranga selection panel reportedly knew of the episode but did not inform the leadership.

Uffindell was also given ample opportunity to disclose during the by-election and since, but kept schtum. A question and answer interview with the Bay of Plenty Times offered the best chance to front up when he was asked about his biggest mistake. His response was that he did not bring his family home to New Zealand sooner.

As a political novice with a party believing it is the right one to lead a country, he should have received better advice.

Uffindell has now been "put up" for media questioning about his school year "thuggery" and his actions since. This suggests he has been pushed into the headlights by a party machine prepared to step back and let him fight for political survival.

Luxon says the party conducted "a deep exploration" of the matter. If so, it should have understood how damaging eventual disclosure would be. Those who decided to sit on this cut their leader off at the knees.

In wrapping up his speech to the National Party conference, Luxon said: "Fellow National Party members, this is a great country and all of us are so, so lucky to live here."

One has to wonder whether he truly feels lucky some days.