An important part of any media interview preparation is identifying the tough questions you might get and organising how to respond. This has been a problem for Christopher Luxon recently when he gets asked why his proposed tax cut changes would drop the 39 cent rate for those earning above $180,000.
He gets questions like, “Why should the Prime Minister get an extra $18,000 a year with these changes when people are living in poverty, etc?” He doesn’t appear to have a good answer, and at face value, it appears there isn’t one.
What should he do?
Here are some points for him to look at to form a counter-argument and presumably why they think the rate should be cut.
The problems for Luxon
Luxon has two problems with this. Firstly, it’s hard to sum that up in a sound bite, unlike the counter argument. But he needs to try, plus his team could push the argument in guest articles etc.
Secondly, some would say that justifying is losing so he won’t want to dwell on this issue for too long.
Thirdly, it’s never a good look for someone who is loaded to make this argument.
What it all means
Basically, Luxon is going to keep getting this question and he needs to be able to answer it credibly and briefly. He should be able to, and if he can, it would help National strengthen their reputation as good economic managers. But if he can’t, National may need to adjust the policy.
Written by Pete Burdon
Pete is a leading New Zealand media trainer and regular blogger for his company, Media Training NZ . He has helped leaders from all sectors of society communicate with the media and other stakeholders. Pete is a former daily newspaper reporter and press secretary in the New Zealand government. From these roles, he understands the media process from both sides of the camera.