Apparently, although some Kiwis may be struggling to see them, the green shoots of economic recovery were clearly visible, Mr Luxon claimed. Mr Luxon also claimed credit for the drop in mortgage interest rates — although not mentioning that several banks recently increased them. He spent more time extolling the virtues of the trade agreements the government has signed, and well Mr Luxon might. Interestingly, Mr Luxon was keen to highlight government progress on superannuation reform — a long-time focus for coalition partner New Zealand First. More of a concern to Mr Luxon would be that some people in his audience yesterday may well hold similar sentiments.

Source: Otago Daily Times January 19, 2026 15:41 UTC