PM pulls out of weekly slot with state broadcaster - just as National Party raises an official complaint about an incident involving TVNZ political staff.

Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has scrapped his regular Monday morning interviews with TVNZ Breakfast and its hosts Tova O’Brien and Chris Chang.

“Our Breakfast team has been informed that the Prime Minister will not take part in his regular TVNZ Breakfast interview on Monday and will decide on further interviews on a case-by-case basis," a TVNZ spokeswoman said today.

The PM’s office confirmed Luxon’s weekly interviews with Newstalk ZB’s Mike Hosking and RNZ’s John Campbell and Ingrid Hipkiss would remain.

“After a review of regular media engagements late last year, we have decided to update our approach. Kiwis get their news in different ways – across radio, television, podcasts and digital platforms, and from next month, there will be three separate morning TV news shows," said a spokesman.

“The PM will continue to be available to media, including Breakfast on a case-by-case basis."

Luxon’s decision follows similar moves by previous prime ministers.

John Key axed the regular RNZ Morning Report interview while Jacinda Ardern ended her weekly slot with Hosking on Newstalk ZB.

The PM’s decision comes as the National Party reveals it has laid a complaint about TVNZ political staff and their behaviour during an incident in Parliament this week.

“We have separately raised concerns with TVNZ this week about the inappropriate conduct of its staff,” said the PM’s spokesman.

“New Zealanders want a fair, balanced and accurate media talking to the issues that matter to them. We respect the role of media, but there are standards, and those standards matter.”

In its official complaint revealed earlier today, the National Party outlined what it called “unacceptable” behaviour of TVNZ press gallery staff during an incident at Parliament this week.

Senior National MP Simeon Brown today accused TVNZ news staff of breaching parliamentary rules by following National whip Stuart Smith into a corridor area this week, “an area where media interviews are not allowed without express permission”.

Brown wrote on X that TVNZ staff “aggressively banged on [Smith’s] door for several minutes, refusing to accept Mr Smith declining to add further to a statement he had already made”.

Brown did not specify how many TVNZ staff were involved.

Brown further alleged that TVNZ staff “pressured him [Smith] about how he would be portrayed on Breakfast the following morning if he did not come out to talk to TVNZ”.

But TVNZ says one of its journalists was asking legitimate questions on behalf of the public, and it has a “different view” of what took place.

Weekly media rounds

Almost one million New Zealanders get to hear from the PM via the interviewing skills of some of this country’s top broadcasters between 7am and 8am each Monday – O’Brien or Chang on TVNZ Breakfast, Hosking on Newstalk ZB and, from today, Campbell or Hipkiss on RNZ’s Morning Report.

As Media Insider revealed earlier this month, former broadcaster Rachel Smalley has been called in to help Luxon and National’s Auckland MPs with their media and communications strategies over the next few weeks.

Smalley has worked alongside several of the Monday morning broadcasters during her own media career and is expected to offer good insights into each of their approaches.

Tova v the PM

In her first fortnight as TVNZ Breakfast co-host, Tova O’Brien’s two exchanges with Luxon each created viral moments.

Three weeks ago, she asked Luxon if he had intentionally taken more of a leadership back seat as the fuel crisis heated up. “My job is the CEO,” he said. O’Brien responded: “Your job is the Prime Minister.”

The following week, Luxon stumbled through a response about the number of Māori National MPs in his Cabinet, citing James Meager, who is not in Cabinet, and not mentioning Tama Potaka, who is. “Did you just forget about him?” asked O’Brien.

On Heather du Plessis-Allan’s Newstalk ZB show two weeks ago, she and two commentators – senior journalist and media leader Carmen Parahi and Taxpayers’ Union head Jordan Williams – discussed Luxon’s media appearance on Breakfast.

“Heather, I was astonished ... that you were more upset with Luxon than you were with your own,” said Williams. “I know it’s against the bro code or the journalist code to criticise each other.

“But I thought it was a gotcha-type thing that you’d expect from Radio Pravda - Radio New Zealand - not a serious journalist like Tova, and frankly, it’s just so 2019, this sort of racist approach.

“There’s lots to criticise the Nats for ... frankly, I don’t think it’s this.”

Parahi described the O’Brien-Luxon exchange as “fun”.

“I loved it because I thought it was hilarious, and I loved the one from last week.

“My concern for Luxon is, does he have a Tova problem? Because he gets all red and he gets all flustered, and actually can he not just answer her question?”

She suspected there was a fear factor at play.

“You can see it in his face, it’s bright red. There’s no retention of keeping calm, not panicking, which is what he’s telling the rest of New Zealand to do around this fuel crisis.

“When I watch him with her, I always feel like he gets flustered.”

Editor-at-Large Shayne Currie is one of New Zealand’s most experienced senior journalists and media leaders. He has held executive and senior editorial roles at NZME including Managing Editor, NZ Herald Editor and Herald on Sunday Editor and has a small shareholding in NZME.