Instead, Mr Luxon emerged victorious after a near three-hour meeting, claiming to have united the party and pledging to win a second term for his conservative coalition. Mr Luxon, 56, has led a three-party coalition since 2023 of his centre-right National party, free-marketers ACT and populists NZ First. A run of gaffes in the past month brought about the second leadership vote. Mr Luxon told battling small business owners in Rotorua they were "negative" and should instead be "retooling and radically disrupting your business". While Mr Luxon said the 81-year-old maverick's comment was racist, he did not sanction or sack him, leaving him liable to the charge he tolerates racism.