Christopher Luxon | |
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.png) Official portrait, 2023 | |
| 42nd Prime Minister of New Zealand | |
| Assumed office 27 November 2023 | |
| Monarch | Charles III |
| Governor‑General | Cindy Kiro |
| Deputy | Winston Peters |
| Preceded by | Chris Hipkins |
| 15th Leader of the National Party | |
| Assumed office 30 November 2021 | |
| Deputy | Nicola Willis |
| Preceded by | Judith Collins |
| 5th Minister for National Security and Intelligence | |
| Assumed office 27 November 2023 | |
| Prime Minister | Himself |
| Preceded by | Chris Hipkins |
| 40th Leader of the Opposition | |
| In office 30 November 2021 – 27 November 2023 | |
| Prime Minister |
|
| Deputy | Nicola Willis |
| Preceded by | Judith Collins |
| Succeeded by | Chris Hipkins |
| Member of the New Zealand Parliament for Botany | |
| Assumed office 17 October 2020 | |
| Preceded by | Jami-Lee Ross |
| Majority | 16,337 |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Christopher Mark Luxon 19 July 1970 Christchurch, New Zealand |
| Political party | National |
| Spouse |
Amanda (m. 1994) |
| Children | 2 |
| Alma mater | University of Canterbury (BCom; MCom) |
| Known for | Former CEO of Air New Zealand, Former employee of Unilever Canada |
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Christopher Mark Luxon (/ˈlʌksən/; born 19 July 1970) is a New Zealand politician and former business executive who has been serving as the 42nd prime minister of New Zealand since 2023, previously as leader of the Opposition from 2021 to 2023, and as leader of the National Party since 2021. He has been member of Parliament (MP) for Botany since 2020. He was the chief executive officer (CEO) of Air New Zealand from 2012 to 2019.[1][2]
Luxon was born in Christchurch and grew up in Howick in East Auckland, before studying commerce at the University of Canterbury. He worked for Unilever from 1993 and held senior roles at Unilever Canada in 2008, joining Air New Zealand as group general manager in 2011 and succeeding as CEO the following year. He won the pre-selection for the safe National Party seat of Botany in East Auckland in 2019, and retained the seat for National at the 2020 general election despite a landslide defeat for the party nationally.
Luxon was often touted as a potential National Party leader during the turbulent time for the party politically in the aftermath of the 2017 general election, even before becoming an MP. He won the leadership unopposed on 30 November 2021, a little more than eight months after he gave his maiden speech, after a party crisis caused the removal of previous leader Judith Collins. Becoming the seventh National Party leader in less than five years, Luxon reorientated the party around the COVID-19 recession and the "cost-of-living crisis", criticising Labour for its leadership. With Labour's landslide defeat, he led his party to win 15 seats and a plurality of 48 at the 2023 general election, following polls narrowing and then strongly favouring National from the middle of the year onwards. Despite enjoying a 12-percentage point swing, National returned the second-lowest vote share of any party that has won a plurality under proportional representation.
Luxon was subsequently sworn in as prime minister on 27 November 2023, and leads the Sixth National Government, with the aid of two right-wing parties, ACT New Zealand and New Zealand First.
- ^ "Christopher Luxon". Bloomberg News. Archived from the original on 10 November 2019. Retrieved 10 November 2019.
- ^ Block, George (4 November 2019). "National chooses former Air NZ boss Christopher Luxon as Botany MP candidate". Stuff. Archived from the original on 21 August 2020. Retrieved 10 November 2019.