Photos: Emily Chalk
During the years Prime Minister Christopher Luxon spent living overseas, Christmas was the time he and his family looked forward to the most, when they’d make their annual pilgrimage home to Christchurch.
Swapping the freezing Northern Hemisphere winters for Kiwi summers became a special tradition, with the promise of big family get-togethers, cricket on the beach and seaside camping trips sustaining them during their years away from New Zealand.
While the Luxons have been back on Kiwi soil since 2011, the excitement for the festive season remains, with Christopher, Amanda and their children William, 25, and Olivia, 23, all self-confessed Christmas fanatics.
“We’d step off the plane and get those familiar smells, hear the Kiwi accent and hand the kids over to the grandparents,” recalls the PM, catching up with the Weekly at their home in Auckland’s Remuera, with former teacher Amanda at his side. The couple lived in Australia, the UK, US and Canada for 16 years, yet never lost sight of what “home” truly meant.
“There was a sense of huge relief that we were finally back in the best little country on planet Earth,” says Christopher. “And that excitement and anticipation for Christmastime has never left us. It’s always felt magical.”
On December 25, the couple will welcome their extended families to Premier House, the prime minister’s official residence in Wellington, for a second year running. Christmas Day will signal the start of a well-earned holiday for Christopher. He has barely paused since taking on the top job in November last year. The work phone will still be on and the Diplomatic Protection Squad officers will be at the table too. Regardless, after one of the biggest years of his life, the former Air New Zealand CEO is looking forward to celebrating with loved ones.
“Christmas is about bringing families together,” says Christopher, 54. “And hosting at Premier House will be a way of thanking them and appreciating all their support through the year as well.”
But despite the official setting, politics will be off the menu. Christopher insists that to the people he loves, he’s simply the son, brother, husband and dad he was before. “Nothing has changed at all,” he says.
Amanda has already ordered the family’s matching Christmas pyjamas. They’ll don them on Christmas Eve and snuggle up for a cosy viewing of movie classic Love Actually.
Christopher is quick to point out that it’s Amanda and Melbourne-based Olivia, who will be back for the holidays, who lead the charge with the festive antics. But he and university student William have learned there is no point objecting. “There’s no getting around the matching PJs,” he says with a laugh.
When it comes to the festive menu, Amanda and Christopher will be in charge of the turkey, roast potatoes and lamb. Then their 20 guests will bring a dish to add to the table. Amanda can’t wait to use the commercial oven at Premier House again because despite initial reservations, she was delighted with last year’s turkey.
“I had no idea how it was going to turn out. This oven is nothing like a normal home one,” she says. “But it was fantastic. It was the best turkey we’ve done yet! It was only in for about three hours and it was perfect.”
There will be a real Christmas tree, which Amanda and Olivia, who works for L’Oréal, will decorate. The family will also stick to their tradition of buying just one gift each for one member of the family. And in honour of the couple’s niece Kimberly, who sadly passed away aged 26 in 2018 from cystic fibrosis, they will play a novelty gift-giving game she introduced the Christmas before she died.
“We do it every year to honour and remember her,” says Amanda. She explains that guests can either keep the gift they select or opt to steal someone else’s. “It’s so much fun and always makes us smile.”
Christopher doesn’t have a lot of time for shopping. However, Amanda, 56, thinks long and hard about what gift the people in her life might like. Presents for her children have changed over the years. Regardless, she still gets as much joy choosing them things for their adult lives as she did when they were little.
“People talk about their love languages and I think gift-giving is mine,” she says. “I love it when I see something I know is perfect for someone. I’ve learnt to grab it no matter what time of year it is. Then I store it away for birthdays or Christmas.”
In fact, Amanda has a cupboard at home dedicated to presents. Its shelves are stacked neatly with gifts, wrapping paper, ribbons and cards. Amanda jokes she reckons she’d give organisation guru Marie Kondo a run for her money. “I couldn’t live without my label maker. I bought one for Olivia as soon as she moved into her own flat,” she says. “Everyone needs one!”
One of the things Christopher and Amanda love most about Christmas is the beautiful cards Olivia and William always give them. Amanda has kept them all. Some are displayed around the house, while others are stored away in boxes of “precious memories” – treasure troves of school certificates and awards, childhood drawings and even the odd item of clothing that holds special memories.
This is something former ballet dancer Amanda’s own mother, Lesley, did for her. Lesley kept all her tutus and costumes that she made for her talented daughter as she grew up. “I think it’s lovely to acknowledge these special things that have a lot of heart behind them.”
Christopher says he’s proud of how hard the Government has worked since the coalition was formed between National, ACT and NZ First. The year has been challenging and fulfilling in equal measure. On the day we meet, Christopher is enjoying a rare two-hour break in his schedule before a huge few weeks, including an official public apology to survivors of abuse in care, the controversial first reading of David Seymour’s Treaty Principles Bill and the APEC Summit in Peru. The former executive lets slip it’s not unusual to get just two or three hours’ sleep a night.
“Yes, the job is extreme and yes, there’s very little sleep involved,” says Christopher. He adds the banning of phones in schools is one of the things he’s most proud of. “But this is a tremendous job and it’s a real privilege to do it. I absolutely love it. You’ve genuinely got a chance to do things that change the country and improve the lives of all New Zealanders. That’s why I came to politics.”
But Amanda admits she can’t help but worry about her husband’s punishing schedule. She tries to do what she can to lessen his load. For the first time in their 30-year marriage, she’s started ironing his shirts. While the PM does his own when he’s in Wellington during the week, at home in Auckland, she’s taken over the job.
“Ironing is such a thankless task,” she laughs. “But he’s under such enormous time constraints and that’s one of the things that I can take off him. I self-sacrifice myself in front of the iron!”
Christopher describes Amanda as “the rock of my life” and says he can’t wait for a few days together at their beach house on Waiheke Island after Christmas. He says his boat hasn’t had an outing this year, so he can’t wait to pull on shorts and a T-shirt, then hit the Hauraki Gulf for some fishing. There’ll also be plenty of household jobs to keep him busy.
“I enjoy pottering around doing all the normal stuff, like gardening, lawn mowing and tidying up some painting.”
There’s a lot to reflect on and Christopher knows that for many Kiwis, 2024 has been tough. He urges people to hang on in there.
“It’s been an incredibly tough year for a lot of people. Our economy has also not been in great shape as a function of what we have inherited,” he says. “But our plan is beginning to work. We have spending under control. You’re seeing now inflation and interest rates come down. That’s a good thing because the major issue for New Zealanders has been the cost of living. Now our focus moves a lot to how we grow the economy and how we get jobs into the economy.
“I really hope that over the summer period, people get a chance to refresh and recharge with their loved ones and their friends, make some new memories and gear up for what will be a more positive 2025.”
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