The full, unedited interview with Christopher Luxon, Leader of the National Party, recorded ahead of Election 2026.
This is the complete conversation, exactly as it was recorded. Nothing has been cut, trimmed or edited.
Christopher Luxon is in conversation with Andrew Curtis.
They discuss the role of government, the Government's record on education, planning reform and law and order, the economy and cost of living, coalition arrangements under MMP, policy trade-offs, the role of faith and community organisations, the proposed separation of Foodstuffs' supermarket banners, outcomes for Māori and the Treaty Principles Bill, the recent caucus confidence votes, and the party's position on possible coalition partners.
As part of our Election 2026 coverage, we invited the leaders of the major NZ political parties, and the minor parties polling over 5%, to sit down for a conversation.
Every interview is published in full and each leader speaks for themselves.
We'd encourage you to hear from all of them before you vote.
CHAPTERS
0:00 Introduction and The Role of Government
5:54 Record & The Economy
16:12 Coalitions & Trade-Offs
23:25 Faith & Community Groups
26:43 Supermarket Competition
34:12 Māori and The Treaty
37:53 Leadership and Coalition Options
Are You Voting Just for Yourself? | Thoughts on Politics EP5
When you cast your vote, are you thinking only of yourself, or of your neighbour too?
This is Episode 5 of Thoughts on Politics, a five-part series asking what's broken in our country, whether we can fix it with politics, and who's fit for the job as Election 2026 approaches. Across the series, Rhema's Andrew Urquhart and 29 special guests, from policy analysts and practitioners to theologians and the general public, explore the central themes of Identity, Compassion, Justice, Prosperity and Welfare.
In this episode, Andrew turns to compassion. Do our political values reach beyond our own pay packet to the poor and marginalised in our communities? With rough sleeping more visible on our streets and incomes struggling to keep pace with the cost of living, he asks the age-old question: who exactly is my neighbour?
Some argue the answer is a long-term plan that gets people off the streets and into work, not just food parcels. Others weigh up who benefits from a policy and who pays for it, and warn against deepening dependency. One voice questions whether it's the government's problem to solve at all, while others say church, community and government each have a part to play. Andrew revisits the parable of the Good Samaritan, unpacks the call to seek the good of the city, and makes the case that choosing not to vote is a political decision in itself.
Chapters
0:00 Who exactly is my neighbour?
5:22 Who benefits & who pays?
7:26 The voters we don't hear from
9:22 The greater good & the Good Samaritan
11:17 Christianity with its sleeves rolled up
16:49 What loving our neighbour looks like
20:16 The least of these
22:24 Why your vote matters
#Election2026 #NZPolitics #Compassion #Homelessness
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This is Episode 5 of Thoughts on Politics, a five-part series asking what's broken in our country, whether we can fix it with politics, and who's fit for the job as Election 2026 approaches. Across the series, Rhema's Andrew Urquhart and 29 special guests, from policy analysts and practitioners to theologians and the general public, explore the central themes of Identity, Compassion, Justice, Prosperity and Welfare.
In this episode, Andrew turns to compassion. Do our political values reach beyond our own pay packet to the poor and marginalised in our communities? With rough sleeping more visible on our streets and incomes struggling to keep pace with the cost of living, he asks the age-old question: who exactly is my neighbour?
Some argue the answer is a long-term plan that gets people off the streets and into work, not just food parcels. Others weigh up who benefits from a policy and who pays for it, and warn against deepening dependency. One voice questions whether it's the government's problem to solve at all, while others say church, community and government each have a part to play. Andrew revisits the parable of the Good Samaritan, unpacks the call to seek the good of the city, and makes the case that choosing not to vote is a political decision in itself.
Chapters
0:00 Who exactly is my neighbour?
5:22 Who benefits & who pays?
7:26 The voters we don't hear from
9:22 The greater good & the Good Samaritan
11:17 Christianity with its sleeves rolled up
16:49 What loving our neighbour looks like
20:16 The least of these
22:24 Why your vote matters
#Election2026 #NZPolitics #Compassion #Homelessness
Check out our socials:
▶ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shinetv.nz/
▶ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/shinetv.nz
▶ Website: https://www.shinetv.co.nz/
Contact Shine TV: https://info.shinetv.co.nz/shinetv/contactus/
Support Shine TV: https://donate.rhemamedia.co.nz/?brand=shine
Sign up for free Shine TV on-demand: https://www.shinetv.co.nz/checkout/subscribe/signup
📺 How to watch Shine TV: https://info.shinetv.co.nz/shinetv/howtowatch/
➡ Like and subscribe to support the channel!
Recent videos
Christopher Luxon, National Party Leader | Full Unedited Interview | Election 2026Click Here
Halloween Films: Stumbling Block or Fair Game?
Brendan Malone weighs up whether horror films and Halloween have any place in the Christian life, and where the real stumbling blocks lie.
Mr Malone argues there is no blanket answer: it depends on who is watching, what they are watching and how much. He warns against the near occasion of sin and against stirring curiosity in young minds, and draws a sharp line between gothic horror like Dracula and Frankenstein, which carries deep Christian themes, and slasher films, which he says are never acceptable. He also highlights a rising wave of nihilistic horror set in a world without God, and unpacks the Christian intent behind The Exorcist. Both men warn that the occult is a real spiritual danger, not mere entertainment, and that we grow what we feed.
Chapters
1:12 A friend who left the occult
1:58 Halloween & young children
3:52 Gothic, slasher & nihilistic horror
5:33 The spiritual reality of the occult
6:45 The Christian message of The Exorcist
8:50 Seeing Jesus in the darkness
#Halloween #HorrorMovies #ChristianFaith #SpiritualWarfare #TheExorcist
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- (NZ) Text: 8168 with the keyword: RHEMA
Click HereMr Malone argues there is no blanket answer: it depends on who is watching, what they are watching and how much. He warns against the near occasion of sin and against stirring curiosity in young minds, and draws a sharp line between gothic horror like Dracula and Frankenstein, which carries deep Christian themes, and slasher films, which he says are never acceptable. He also highlights a rising wave of nihilistic horror set in a world without God, and unpacks the Christian intent behind The Exorcist. Both men warn that the occult is a real spiritual danger, not mere entertainment, and that we grow what we feed.
Chapters
1:12 A friend who left the occult
1:58 Halloween & young children
3:52 Gothic, slasher & nihilistic horror
5:33 The spiritual reality of the occult
6:45 The Christian message of The Exorcist
8:50 Seeing Jesus in the darkness
#Halloween #HorrorMovies #ChristianFaith #SpiritualWarfare #TheExorcist
------------------------------------------------
| SOCIALS |
Follow us on INSTAGRAM!
- https://www.instagram.com/thoughtsandcommentsnz/
- https://www.instagram.com/thebrightsidenz/
- https://www.instagram.com/rhemadriveshow/
Visit our WEBSITE! https://www.rhema.co.nz/home
Join our FACEBOOK Page to engage with us! https://www.facebook.com/nzrhema
Support Rhema: https://donate.rhemamedia.co.nz/?brand=rhema
Would you like to pray for others or have a prayer request? 🙏
- Our Prayer Wall: https://www.rhema.co.nz/faith/prayerwall
To contact the studio
- Email: studio@rhema.co.nz
- Phone: 0508 474362
- (NZ) Text: 8168 with the keyword: RHEMA
Enrolment Cut-Off: Is Two Weeks Really Too Much?
Nathan Seiuli of PILLAR weighs up what freedom really looks like ahead of New Zealand’s election, from the earlier enrolment cut-off to the policies of the major parties.
Mr Seiuli argues that voting is a luxury won through the sacrifice of earlier generations rather than a right, and that enrolling two weeks out is a reasonable ask. He warns that neither major party measures up on freedom, highlighting the gang patch ban as a framework that could be applied to any club, and proposed online safety rules that risk censoring everyone. He also urges Christians to stay informed and engaged, saying faith in Christ doesn’t exempt believers from serving others through their vote. (https://www.nzpillar.com)
Chapters
0:29 The earlier enrolment cut-off
0:58 Voting: a right or a luxury?
2:01 Party incentives & remembering sacrifice
3:49 A freedom test for the major parties
4:52 The gang patch ban
5:20 “Fashion police” warning
6:51 State control of the internet
8:28 Why Christians should stay engaged
#NZElection2026 #VotingInNZ #FreedomOfSpeech #OnlineSafety #GangPatchBan
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Follow us on INSTAGRAM!
- https://www.instagram.com/thoughtsandcommentsnz/
- https://www.instagram.com/thebrightsidenz/
- https://www.instagram.com/rhemadriveshow/
Visit our WEBSITE! https://www.rhema.co.nz/home
Join our FACEBOOK Page to engage with us! https://www.facebook.com/nzrhema
Support Rhema: https://donate.rhemamedia.co.nz/?brand=rhema
Would you like to pray for others or have a prayer request? 🙏
- Our Prayer Wall: https://www.rhema.co.nz/faith/prayerwall
To contact the studio
- Email: studio@rhema.co.nz
- Phone: 0508 474362
- (NZ) Text: 8168 with the keyword: RHEMA
Click HereMr Seiuli argues that voting is a luxury won through the sacrifice of earlier generations rather than a right, and that enrolling two weeks out is a reasonable ask. He warns that neither major party measures up on freedom, highlighting the gang patch ban as a framework that could be applied to any club, and proposed online safety rules that risk censoring everyone. He also urges Christians to stay informed and engaged, saying faith in Christ doesn’t exempt believers from serving others through their vote. (https://www.nzpillar.com)
Chapters
0:29 The earlier enrolment cut-off
0:58 Voting: a right or a luxury?
2:01 Party incentives & remembering sacrifice
3:49 A freedom test for the major parties
4:52 The gang patch ban
5:20 “Fashion police” warning
6:51 State control of the internet
8:28 Why Christians should stay engaged
#NZElection2026 #VotingInNZ #FreedomOfSpeech #OnlineSafety #GangPatchBan
------------------------------------------------
| SOCIALS |
Follow us on INSTAGRAM!
- https://www.instagram.com/thoughtsandcommentsnz/
- https://www.instagram.com/thebrightsidenz/
- https://www.instagram.com/rhemadriveshow/
Visit our WEBSITE! https://www.rhema.co.nz/home
Join our FACEBOOK Page to engage with us! https://www.facebook.com/nzrhema
Support Rhema: https://donate.rhemamedia.co.nz/?brand=rhema
Would you like to pray for others or have a prayer request? 🙏
- Our Prayer Wall: https://www.rhema.co.nz/faith/prayerwall
To contact the studio
- Email: studio@rhema.co.nz
- Phone: 0508 474362
- (NZ) Text: 8168 with the keyword: RHEMA