Election 2026: How Labour just gave National a win, and a distraction from its leadership woes - Jamie Ensor

Analysis byChief Political Reporter·NZ Herald·19 Aug, 2026 05:00 AM7 mins to readJamie Ensor is the New Zealand Herald’s Chief Political Reporter in the Press Gallery, based at Parliament in Wellington.‌THE FACTSChristopher Luxon removed Chris Penk from his ministerial roles last week after claiming Penk had launched a leadership challenge.National on Sunday said Labour had mooted a tax on streaming services, something Labour leader Chris Hipkins then ruled out.Labour had a members’ bill to introduce a streaming tax, which it has now ditched.As night follows day, so too does a National Party – looking for a distraction from its infighting – try to raise the alarm over Labour and taxes. Take a little creative licence, and you can just picture what it may have been like: Senior National figures