National/ACT Lambast Orr's Reappointment As RBNZ Governor

Leader of New Zealand's main opposition National Party Christopher Luxon said he was "shocked" to learn that Adrian Orr was reappointed for another five-year term as RBNZ Governor.

• Luxon and the Nationals have been pushing for an independent probe into the RBNZ's role in fuelling inflation through its policy response to the COVID-19 crisis in 2020/21.
• The Nationals also called for extending Orr's first term by a year, which would allow them to choose his successor, should they win the 2023 general election.
• ACT leader David Seymour echoed criticisms of Orr's reappointment, accusing the official of "poor leadership (...), high staff turnover and a failure to accept any responsibility for these issues."
• The latest Newshub opinion poll confirmed that National and ACT are consolidating their lead and could form a coalition government, if a general election was held today.
• The increasingly likely scenario of National/ACT win in 2023 coupled with Orr's reappointment would complicate the relations between fiscal and monetary authorities.