David Seymour will step in as acting Prime Minister this week while Christopher Luxon and Winston Peters are away on diplomatic trips.
Prime Minister Luxon will be visiting Fiji and Niue from Tuesday to Friday, aiming to strengthen New Zealand’s relationships in the Pacific region.
Luxon emphasized the importance of these visits, stating, “The Government is committed to deeper and more comprehensive relationships in the region and this visit is an opportunity to reaffirm New Zealand’s position as a trusted partner.” He described Fiji and Niue as “two of New Zealand’s closest friends in the Pacific,” underscoring the goal of enhancing partnerships and connections across the Pacific.
Winston Peters, the usual Deputy Prime Minister, will be in Southeast Asia for a week starting Wednesday. This leaves Seymour, the ACT Party leader, to potentially serve as acting Prime Minister until Luxon returns.
Luxon expressed confidence in the arrangement, highlighting the strength of the coalition government and the talent within the Cabinet. “It’ll be fine, we’ve got a great team… they’re working incredibly hard,” Luxon assured.
Seymour is set to assume the deputy Prime Minister role full-time in the latter half of the Government’s term when Peters hands over the position.
