Shutting up shop

Clearly no one has explained to Christopher Luxon the “togs, togs, undies” gradation that applies to politicians once they clear Customs abroad.

However massive and valid one’s catalogue of complaints about New Zealand may be, it must be strictly stashed with one’s duty-free purchases and not opened again until repatriation. “Snark, snark, gush” might be the best way to shorthand it.

Bagging one’s country overseas is not a great audition piece for someone wanting to become its next prime minister. What the opposition leader has said, both in a London speech and a newspaper think piece, was perfectly fair comment: that New Zealanders have become