PM strips Chris Penk of his portfolios after ‘leadership challenge’Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has sacked Chris Penk as a minister, alleging he launched the “leadership challenge” that led to today’s emergency caucus meeting. The former navy officer was recently made minister of defence earlier this year, after Judith Collins retired from politics. This makes his role untenable and as such I have removed his portfolios,” Luxon said, in a statement. Asked if he expected to keep the defence portfolio, Penk said, “It’s always the case that ministerial portfolios are at the gift of the prime minister. So, any other day of the week, I would say the same thing I’d say now, which is that those decisions are for the prime minister.”