‘He is deeply unpopular’: Sepuloni criticises Luxon's lack of authenticity

Christopher Luxon is behind Chris Hipkins in the latest 1News Verian Poll because the Prime Minister’s unauthentic and has failed to resonate with Kiwis, Labour’s Deputy Leader Carmel Sepuloni says.

Hipkins outscored Luxon in the approval ratings, and Sepuloni said it also boiled down to Luxon’s cringeworthy embarrassment.

The poll, which surveyed more than 1000 eligible voters, found that 38 per cent would vote National, seven per cent ACT, and six per cent New Zealand First.

Based on these numbers, the coalition government could still form, however, notably approval ratings between Luxon and Hipkins shifted in the Labour leader's favour.

Speaking to William Terite on Pacific Mornings, Sepuloni said she did not know how Luxon would revitalise his popularity since "he is who he is at the end of the day.

"I don't know whether we have seen a prime minister this unpopular before, to be honest,” she said.

"He's very good at rattling off the key messages, but when he goes off-script then ends up doing things like talking about very prominent New Zealanders being C-listers that had gone on trade missions before.

“I think there's a lot of people that watch him and are feeling that sense of cringe.”

Although Hipkin's approval rating of 47 per cent outweighed Luxon's 40 per cent, Luxon remained the preferred prime minister by 23 per cent while Hipkins, up by two per cent, sat at 18 per cent.

But Sepuloni said "anecdotally" people, either on the street or in the supermarkets, had voiced their disappointment with the government and hoped the coalition would "become the first one-term government.

"That particular poll was quite out of step with the other polls that we have seen in recent weeks,” she told Terite.

"What we have seen across polls is that steadily the government have been coming down since they got elected. Steadily we have been going up.

"The only poll that matters is what happens in election year and it's important that we continue to put our heads down."

The war of the Chrises wages on. Photo/supplied

Luxon said he was not concerned with the polls despite the positive results for the National Party, adding that the "ultimate poll" would be the next election.

Sepuloni said despite Hipkins winning in approval ratings but losing in the prime minister preference, that did not change that "he's the right person for the job".

"[Hipkins] is still featuring and performing pretty strongly in the leadership polls," she said.

"I think that's an indication that there is a level of trust out there for him. People have seen him perform through some very difficult times, whether it be Covid or any of the other events we had to deal with when we were in government.

"He's reliable and I think that's what New Zealanders think."

Despite Labour's history of short-lived leaders, from David Shearer to David Cunliffe then Andrew Little, Sepuloni is firm in the belief that Hipkins is the party's salvation for a prominent leader similar to then-PM Jacinda Ardern's rise.

She said Labour was using this term to prepare to return to government, focusing on holding the coalition to account and figuring out what policies they should look at at the next election - all under a more united caucus.

"Those of us that were around during that time and endured that rollercoaster of emotions, leadership changes and factionalism within the caucus, are very mindful of what can happen in opposition and we've seen it with the previous National opposition as well.

"So we are making good use of our time. We are united and this is very different from the last time we were an opposition, I can tell you that," Sepuloni said.