Mood of the Boardroom: CEOs back Luxon over Hipkins on economic growth

New Zealand Herald · Fran O'Sullivan · 2026-10-21 16:04 UTC

65% of CEOs backed Luxon to drive growth, against 3% for Hipkins.

The result gives National’s leader a substantial advantage among business decision-makers.

But the survey’s detailed leadership ratings suggest that the contest is not simply a matter of economic credentials versus economic inexperience. Hipkins has strengths of his own, particularly in political management, while the Government faces the challenge of convincing households that its economic programme is delivering tangible improvements in living standards.

The leadership comparison puts Luxon ahead of Hipkins on integrity, trustworthiness, economic management, vision and strategy, and the ability to form a working coalition. Luxon scores 3.6 out of five for integrity, compared with Hipkins’ 2.7, and 3.49 for trustworthiness against Hipkins’ 2.57.

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