The Prime Hypocrite

National's Christopher Luxon unveils trio of fiscal transparency policies, RNZ, 15 May 2023:

The government had "abused" taxpayers for the past six years, Luxon said.

"I am sick of taxpayers being treated like a bottomless ATM, to be raided at any time, for any reason. National will respect taxpayers and bring fiscal discipline back to Wellington."

Budget 2023: Christopher Luxon clarifies National's stance on $5 prescription fee, NewsHub, 19 May 2023:

National leader Christopher Luxon has clarified his party's stance on the Government's decision to abolish the $5 prescription co-payment in Budget 2023.

[...]

He said: "I think if I can pay, I should pay".

"I think it's really unfair, it's money that's wasted on being spent on someone like me, for example, who can afford to pay for my prescriptions myself."

Luxon claims $52k accommodation payment to live in own apartment , NewsRoom, 1 March 2024:

The Prime Minister will receive a $52,000 top-up to his $471,000 salary to cover his accommodation expenses since he is not living in Premier House.

A spokesperson for Christopher Luxon confirmed he will claim the optional accommodation payment, despite living in an apartment in Wellington that he owns mortgage-free.

It makes Luxon the first Prime Minister in at least 34 years to claim the payment. Since Premier House became the official prime ministerial residence in 1990, previous titleholders have either lived there or, in the case of Wellington-based leaders Bill English and Chris Hipkins, stayed in their own homes.

So much for "I think if I can pay, I should pay". But I guess things just look different when you're in government, and there are expenses to rort. But when he's trying to talk about the cost of living, its utterly tone deaf - not to mention toxic - to be rorting more than a minimum wage worker is paid to live in your own fucking house.

But of course he doesn't see this as wrong or problematic in any way, because the fundamental ideology of conservativism is that there is one rule for them and one rule for us dirty peasants. He's simply making his contempt for ordinary people crystal clear.