Christopher Luxon

Christopher Mark Luxon (born 19 July 1970) is a New Zealand politician and businessman who has served as the 42nd prime minister of New Zealand since 2023. A member of the National Party, he has been the member of Parliament (MP) for Botany since 2020 and previously served as leader of the Opposition from 2021 to 2023. Prior to entering politics, he was the chief executive officer (CEO) of Air New Zealand from 2013 to 2019.

Luxon grew up in Howick in East Auckland before studying commerce at the University of Canterbury. He joined Unilever in 1993 and held senior roles at Unilever Canada, becoming president and CEO of the subsidiary in 2008. In 2011, he left Unilever Canada and joined Air New Zealand as group general manager and became CEO in 2013. After stepping down as CEO of Air New Zealand in 2019, Luxon won the pre-selection for the safe National Party seat of Botany in East Auckland. He won the National Party leadership unopposed on 30 November 2021, eight months after giving his maiden speech, after the ousting of his predecessor. Luxon led his party to a plurality of seats at the 2023 general election. Luxon signed a coalition deal with ACT New Zealand and New Zealand First to form a majority, and was sworn in as prime minister on 27 November 2023.

Under Luxon's premiership, the Sixth National Government of New Zealand has shrunk New Zealand's civil service and attempted to boost the economy through international tourism. The government introduced cuts to healthcare expenditure, reintroduced the three-strikes sentencing law and a pilot military-style boot camp for youth offenders, and enacted NZ$14.7 billion in tax cuts. The government replaced the Three Waters reform programme with the Local Water Done Well policy, and minimised co-governance initiatives while discouraging the use of the Māori language alongside the English language in the public service. His government has contributed to the construction of the City Rail Link metro system in Central Auckland, and agreed to support the controversial Treaty Principles Bill to its first reading. In foreign policy, his government has increased military spending and Five Eyes cooperation in a general pro-United States shift. Luxon's coalition dynamics with his deputy prime ministers Winston Peters and David Seymour have proved controversial, given they have openly challenged his authority.