‘He is doing an outstanding job’: Chris Bishop still backs his boss

Tuesday, 25 November 2025

National minister Chris Bishop (right), says his boss Prime Minister Christopher Luxon (left) is doing a fantastic job, amid leadership speculation.

Senior National minister Chris Bishop has pushed back on leadership rumours about his boss, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon, saying he was doing a fantastic job and people were “interviewing their typewriters”.

“He is doing an outstanding job leading a Government made up of three constituent parties, the first multi-party coalition cabinet in New Zealand,” Bishop said on Tuesday.

Luxon has been questioned consistently about leadership speculation following a string of bad polls and unfavourable ratings.

Luxon reiterated he did not comment on polling and has dismissed leadership rumours.

“That’s not a concern for us and our caucus,” he said on Tuesday.

On Monday: “I can assure you I'm going to be prime minister” [at the time of the 2026 election].

And on Sunday, Luxon told reporters he absolutely had the National caucus’ backing and he had given no thought to stepping down.

“I don't take it seriously because I've seen those stories before. So all I'm doing is focusing on my job. And my job, frankly, is to keep fixing the basics.”

Both Bishop and National MP Erica Stanford on Tuesday said they had not been in conversations with colleagues about leadership.

“All people come to talk to me about is how I can help them, in their local electorates, build more classrooms,” Stanford said.

“I don’t talk to people about leadership, I talk to people about education.”

Bishop was asked if he was concerned for National MPs, who, if recent polling was reflected at the next election, may not re-enter Parliament.

“Look, we are working hard each and every day to make sure that we put ourselves in the best position to win the next election,” he said.

“Ultimately, that's over to New Zealanders, and the next election is around a year or so away, and that's one of the reasons why we've got to work as hard as possible on reforms like [local government], and reforms like Resource Management reform…

“We want as many National MPs in Parliament as possible.”