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IrelandGoldsmith backs Luxon as Bridge tests National's election fallback
NZ Herald's final pre-election panel pairs National's stability argument with Labour's claim of momentum and questions about coalition approval.
nzherald.co.nz
Story of Why this story? One of nzherald.co.nz's most watched videos since yesterday, with 12,448 views.
‘Backed by the nut-job party’: Jackson and Goldsmith’s final showdown | Ryan Bridge TODAY
Things we can learn from the video
Press to jump
- 1:27Goldsmith argues that uncertain times require a stable government built around a strong National Party.
- 2:00Bridge raises a possible National leadership change; Goldsmith rejects the premise and backs Luxon to remain prime minister.
- 3:26Jackson says Labour has momentum and predicts voters will reject a National-ACT-New Zealand First coalition.
- 5:07Bridge displays a headline contrasting Hipkins's criticism of negative campaigning with the Labour attack truck behind him.
- 7:01The panel compares National's and Labour's internal processes for approving coalition agreements.
Paul Goldsmith rejects speculation about replacing Christopher Luxon as Ryan Bridge presses him on what National would do without a decisive election victory.
"Luxon's going to be the prime minister," the National MP says in NZ Herald's Ryan Bridge TODAY panel. Earlier, he calls the leadership question "the fantasy realm", insisting his party is focused on winning.
The exchange sets out the competing arguments in the campaign's closing hours. Goldsmith says risky times require a strong National core to a stable government. Labour MP Willie Jackson argues that his party has momentum and predicts voters will reject a coalition of National, ACT and New Zealand First. Those are the politicians' assessments, not an election result.
Bridge also turns to the mechanics of forming a government: who inside each party must approve a coalition agreement, and how much power that gives them over a potential deal. The discussion contrasts National's and Labour's approval processes.
Campaign conduct provides another test. Bridge displays a headline about Labour leader Chris Hipkins criticising National's negative campaigning while standing in front of a Labour attack truck. Goldsmith responds by accusing Labour of negative tactics.
The segment drew roughly 12,000 views since yesterday, the largest audience among NZ Herald's new uploads over that period. It also closes a regular pre-election appointment: after opening with complaints about scones lacking butter and jam, Bridge ends by thanking both MPs for their appearances.
A New Zealand historian and National Party politician, first elected to Parliament as a list MP in 2011.
More on Wikipedia ›New Zealand’s prime minister since 2023 and a National Party MP. Before entering politics, he led Air New Zealand.
More on Wikipedia ›New Zealand’s centre-right party and the senior party in the government. It is one of the country’s two major parties, alongside Labour.
More on Wikipedia ›One of New Zealand’s two major political parties, Labour is centre-left and National’s traditional rival.
More on Wikipedia ›A New Zealand Labour MP and former unionist, broadcaster and Urban Māori leader. He previously represented the Alliance in Parliament.
More on Wikipedia ›Leader of New Zealand’s Labour Party and leader of the Opposition. He served as prime minister from January to November 2023.
More on Wikipedia ›Published on Trari
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- Channel
- nzherald.co.nz
- Subscribers
- 222,000
- Channel views, last 7 days
- 1,361,133
- Channel views, pace per day
- 256,267 (on a normal day: 178,956)
- Video published
- November 5, 2026
- Video views so far
- 12,448 (less than a day online)
- Video views, pace per day
- 25,018
The numbers
This panel was NZ Herald's most watched new video since yesterday. The view count below is its actual audience so far, not a projected daily pace.
💡 Test your knowledge
Which airline did Christopher Luxon lead before entering politics?
Luxon was chief executive of Air New Zealand from 2013 to 2019.