EDITORIAL:

Well, here we go again — this is when the doors are shut, the caucus is in the room, and this is the moment. 

This is where you find out whether a Prime Minister is actually in charge… or just borrowing the label. 

Because over the last 24 to 48 hours, this hasn’t just been a bit of background noise or media speculation — this has been a full-blown leak culture inside the National Party.  

And now, thanks to Mike Hosking, we’ve got names. 

Not whispers. Not “sources say.” Names. 

The famous five. 

Barbara Kuriger. Andrew Bayley. Sam Uffindell. Tim van de Molen. Joseph Mooney. 

Five MPs allegedly talking to the media.  

If Mike Hosking is naming these names you can bet he's on the money, I'm prepared to lose my job on that.  

Five MPs prepared to undermine their own leader publicly — or at the very least, privately with the full knowledge it would become public. 

And now the question isn’t whether it’s happening. 

The question is: what does Luxon do about it? 

Because this is the test. This is leadership 101. 

You cannot run a government — let alone win an election year — if your own team is briefing against you. It’s poisonous. 

It eats away at authority, it destroys discipline, and it tells the public one thing loud and clear: they don’t believe in their own boss. 

So what are the options? 

Does he go soft? Quiet word in their ear, slap on the wrist, “let’s all move on”? 

Or does he go hard? 

Because let’s be very clear — Prime Ministers have power.  

They control rankings, portfolios, future careers.  

If you want to send a message, you can send one quickly. 

And then there’s another layer to this — because now we’re hearing that Chris Bishop may also be linked in some way. 

Now if that’s even remotely true, that’s not just a backbencher issue anymore — that’s senior leadership territory. That changes the stakes completely. 

Is it time for Luxon to clean house?  

He can’t get rid of them, you know he can’t.  

So do you make an example of one or two? Do you reshuffle, demote, strip responsibilities? 

Or do you risk looking weak by trying to keep everyone happy? 

Because here’s the reality — unity isn’t built by pretending problems don’t exist. It’s built by dealing with them. 

And if Luxon walks out of that caucus today without asserting control, without drawing a line… 

Then the story won’t be about five MPs leaking like a sieve.  

The story will be that the Prime Minister knew — and did nothing. 

And once that perception sets in? 

Good luck with trying to do anything come the end of the year. 

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