Prime Minister Luxon alienating voters by cancelling weekly Breakfast interview, expert says

A political science expert says the prime minister risks alienating some voters by cancelling his regular interviews on TVNZ's Breakfast.

In a statement last week, a spokesperson for Christopher Luxon said he would now only be available to the programme on a case-by-case basis.

Luxon's withdrawal comes about a month after the appointment of the former Newshub and Stuff political editor Tova O'Brien as a co-host on the show.

On Tuesday, Luxon defended the move on Newstalk ZB, where he told host Mike Hosking he has "reset" the way he engages with media, and that he is "pretty accessible" compared to other world leaders.

Dr Claire Robinson told Midday Report the move risks alienating an important group of voters, and she would have advised against it.

"These are viewers who aren't as tribal as Morning Report or as Mike Hosking's listeners, and they really need to be talked to by their prime minister.

"He's basically saying, 'I'm going to shut you out of my life, thank you very much'."

She acknowledged Luxon's Breakfast interviews since O'Brien took on the role had included some "flubs" which had gone "viral".

"His team has obviously made the calculation that the short-term outrage - generally by people who are attached to the media - of him not choosing to go onto Breakfast on a regular slot, is more than outweighed by the advantage of him him not going viral with the flubs.

Although it may "blow over" in the next week, the longer-term impact of him not being seen by the show's audience could impact the polls, come election time, she said.

Former prime minister Dame Jacinda Ardern made a similar move when she cancelled her weekly interview slot with Newstalk ZB in 2021.

That move had proven in the long run to be the wrong one, Robinson said.

"With the benefit of hindsight we know that the Auckland audience, which is a lot of Mike Hosking's audience started to turn against her.

"You can't pick and choose ... you have to actually do it whether you like it or not, whether you're comfortable with it or not, because you're the prime minister and you have a responsibility to talk to people in a whole range of mediums."

Robinson said she had seen a poll that showed there was "a lot of support" for Luxon's withdrawal, because of the perception that the media is biased against him.

"It's a natural reaction, but the media isn't that biased. And actually the media is doing a really important job in conveying the messages of the public up to the politicians and back again."

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