GORDON LIGHTFOOT | Politics
BACKING EACH OTHER
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has confirmed National MPs will now hold regular “compliment circles”, following what he described as the “strong foundation” created by this week’s successful leadership confidence vote.
Speaking to media, Luxon said the vote had already given the team a noticeable lift, but there was an opportunity to “build on that energy in a more deliberate way.”
“Look what I will say is we’ve seen what a quick show of hands can do for morale,” he said. “But if you sit everyone down in a circle on the carpet and really take the time to say what you appreciate about each other, that’s where the real growth happens, you know?”
Under the new approach, MPs will remove their shoes, sit cross-legged, and take turns offering affirmations to the person beside them, while maintaining eye contact for “a respectful but slightly uncomfortable amount of time.”
Finance Minister Nicola Willis says she’s already prepared a few lines.
“I’ve got one for Chris about his energy, and one for Todd about how he always brings a kind of quiet determination to things,” she said. “It’s just about recognising the little things people do ay.”
Luxon confirmed the exercise will include a “talking object,” likely a soft toy or small cushion, which MPs must hold while speaking.
“You can’t interrupt when someone’s got the cushion,” he said. “That’s a big part of it. It teaches patience and active listening, and I think we can all improve on that.”
A senior staffer, speaking on condition of anonymity, said early sessions had already shown promise.
“There was some giggling at first, but once they got into it, you could see some of them really needed this,” the staffer said. “A few of the men were sitting there like they hadn’t been told they were doing a good job since 1998.”
Luxon says the initiative is about ensuring the caucus enters the election year feeling “grounded, supported, and ready to win.”
More to come.
