'No John Key': Paul Henry says Luxon not being genuine, NZ in 'malaise'

ACT's newest candidate, Paul Henry, believes Prime Minister Christopher Luxon is not being his genuine self, saying "he is not a John Key".

The former broadcaster also said he was not interested in becoming a party leader, but wouldn't entirely rule it out if the need arose.

ACT leader David Seymour announced Henry as a list candidate at a press conference in Auckland yesterday, telling reporters: "We expect to see him in Parliament in about 116 days." Henry confirmed he had resigned from his role on the TVNZ board.

Henry appeared on Breakfast this morning, a show he quit in 2010, and was questioned about a recent poll showing National falling to 28.7%.

Host Tova O'Brien asked if the numbers could be put down to a leadership problem, Henry said: "I think there's more than that to it.

"I think Christopher has found it very hard to get a voice with ordinary people," Henry said. "He is not a John Key.

"Now that doesn't matter – you don't have to be a John Key. I think he spent a lot of time trying to be a John Key. You're better off concentrating on communicating yourself genuinely."

O'Brien then asked: "You don't think he's being his own genuine self?"

Henry replied: "I don't think so. I don't think so. I don't think it resonates."

He believed voters also shared his thoughts, saying it was a "problem for National" but a "big opportunity" for ACT.

"I think the biggest problem National has now is this level of dissatisfaction, this general malaise in the country."

Henry was asked what his relationship with NZ First leader Winston Peters was like – someone his new boss Seymour has previously called “the least trustworthy person in New Zealand politics”.

"You can see why he would say that," Henry said. "He's proven time and time again not to be trustworthy."

He said that as a politician, however, "you can't help but admire him".

Henry rules out leadership, but not entirely

When asked if he was an obvious successor for Seymour as leader of ACT, Henry said he would "absolutely make sure I'm not".

However, if there was a situation where his caucus colleagues begged him to take the position, and the survival of the party relied on it, Henry conceded: "You wouldn't say no in a situation like that.

"But I think I can almost promise you that won't happen, and I can absolutely promise you that I am not interested in being a leader."

If the current coalition were booted out of Government after the election, Henry said he would still stick it out in opposition.

"I think you have to, don't you?"

'I'm sure there are skeletons'

Appearing on Breakfast, Henry said it "feels a little bit like home".

He quit TVNZ in 2010 after controversy over comments he made about former Governor-General Sir Anand Satyanand and a senior Indian politician Sheila Dikshit.

The latter comments, in which he deliberately mispronounced her name in a vulgar way, sparked something of a diplomatic incident between New Zealand and India.

Asked about the situation, Henry blamed it on "bureaucrats".

"I think you'll find it was bureaucrats in the government then who were overzealous and told the Indians why they should be outraged."

He said he had "no negative feelings" towards the situation or himself, saying "I'm entirely happy with that".

With his comments about the Governor-General, questioning if he was a New Zealander, Henry admitted: "I went too far".

Henry was also asked if he had any skeletons in the closet, saying he "probably" did.

"Sixty-five-year-old - yeah, I'm sure there are skeletons there."