- Luxon’s goals are to deliver tax cuts, instruct greater cops, and reduce authority’s paperwork.
- Luxon stated he had to get a Treasury briefing on the state of the government’s finances.
- Chris Hipkins, the previous PM, wishes Luxon well and plans to remain in Parliament as opposition leader.
Luxon took over six weeks after his Conservative National Party won national elections, ending six years of Labor rule by Jacinda Ardern.
Luxon, 53, who was chief executive of Air New Zealand, was sworn in as head of the new coalition government by New Zealand’s governor-general at a ceremony in the capital, Wellington.
‘Prudential’ spending
The former Labor government struggled to control the rising cost of living, a global issue blamed on pandemic-related supply problems and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
The previous prime minister, Labor leader Chris Hipkins, took over from Ardern in January.
She resigned unexpectedly, ending her five-year term, because she didn’t have “enough in the tank.”
Luxon said his cabinet will meet in the next two days to decide plans for the first 100 days.
National has said it wants to crack down on crime, ban cell phones in schools and scrap a planned fuel tax hike.
Luxon was sworn in as the country’s 42nd prime minister after protracted coalition talks reached an agreement on Friday.
His National Party has formed a three-party coalition with the conservative ACT and populist New Zealand First parties to govern the 123-seat parliament.
In a first for New Zealand, the post of Deputy Prime Minister will be shared over two 18-month terms.
New Zealand First President Winston Peters, 78, joined Luxon as deputy prime minister, but will hand over the post at the end of May 2025.He will be replaced by ACT President David Seymour for the remainder of the three-year parliamentary term.
