Labour leader Chris Hipkins has sarcastically applauded Chris Penk's "intestinal fortitude" for his role in a leadership challenge against Christopher Luxon, as Parliament debated the former minister's sacking.
By Giles Dexter of RNZ
Parliament has held an urgent debate on the Prime Minister's decision to remove Penk from his portfolios. Parliament often hold an urgent debate upon the resignation of a minister, although in some cases, the request is declined.
For example, debates were held in 2023, following Stuart Nash's resignation as Minister of Police, and in 2025, following Andrew Bayly's resignation from his portfolios.
On Tuesday afternoon, Hipkins, who moved the motion, said National MPs were more concerned about their own jobs than the jobs of every New Zealander.
Hipkins questioned the need to call a meeting in the first place and challenged the prime minister's assertion his caucus was united, only to then sack one of his ministers.
"So which is it? Did they emerge completely united or did someone need to be sacked for trying to remove the prime minister?
"If there was no challenge, if Chris Penk was simply a lone wolf acting alone, why did every one of National's 49 MPs need to fly to Wellington to establish that?
"Why did they need to spend three hours debating it, before they could come out and say, 'Actually, nothing to see here, no leadership challenge, we're all behind Christopher Luxon'?"
Hipkins spent much of his speech criticising Luxon's leadership.
"The case against Christopher Luxon is pretty clear, Chris Penk clearly the only one with the intestinal fortitude to try and make it."
Hipkins also laughed off the "pure coincidence" Erica Stanford's staff was in the banquet hall before the prime minister's press conference, saying they thought they had gathered for a "victory parade".
Christopher Luxon says dissident minister Chris Penk had to go but refuses to give caucus vote count. (Source: 1News)
Stanford has chastised her staff for attending the press conference and reiterated she was not interested in the leadership.
Hipkins accused Luxon of having double standards, by tolerating ministers who were "openly racist", while sacking another for disloyalty, a point echoed by Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson.
"I find it an interesting reflection of our prime minister that he is capable of dismissing one of his own ministers for challenging whether he is the PM that New Zealanders deserve, yet he did not and cannot find the spine to fire his own minister of foreign affairs," she said.
Other parties are scathing of the “damaging” and “circus” antics from the governing party. (Source: 1News)
Davidson's use of "spine" earned her a rebuke from Speaker Gerry Brownlee.
Te Pāti Māori co-leader Debbie Ngarewa-Packer said Penk was an "honourable man".
"He dared to enact what the rest of the country are asking for, which is a change of prime minister, a change of government."
Speaking in reply, senior National minister Simeon Brown attacked the opposition for its tax policies and said the events of the past week had been well-traversed.
"The actions of Chris Penk ultimately made his position in cabinet untenable, and as such, he was removed from his portfolios and they have been re-allocated to other ministers."
National Party leader gains the numbers in a confidence vote four months after the previous one. (Source: 1News)
Paul Goldsmith, who has picked up most of Penk's portfolios, said "a couple of excellent ministers" would carry on Penk's work.
ACT MP Simon Court said his party was disappointed to lose "such a collegial, competent and hardworking" minister.
He praised Penk's work as building and construction minister, saying he had delivered "sense" in the way building earthquake risk was managed and progress towards a national building consent authority.
Court, who is standing in the Kaipara ki Mahurangi seat that Penk will no longer contest, also used his speech to attempt to convince voters to choose him to replace Penk as the local MP.
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