Christopher Luxon, the unknowable man

Political reporters often say people need to get to know National leader Christopher Luxon. But he's ubiquitous in the media and has been in the job 18 months. Is it possible he's unknowable? Or is it time to retire the narrative?Political reporters often say people need to get to know National leader Christopher Luxon. But he is ubiquitous in the media and has been in the job 18 months. Is it possible he is unknowable? Or is it time to retire the narrative?Back in November last year, 1News political editor Jessica Mutch-McKay delivered some frank political advice to National leader Christopher Luxon during a panel discussion on RNZ's Morning Report."We've been encouraging him to do some more photo opportunities," she said. "People need to get to know him."The idea that voters have not got to know Luxon has become a kind of received wisdom in the press gallery and political circles.Newsroom political editor Jo Moir cited some on-the-street evidence for the theory on the site's weekly podcast Raw Politics back in April."Certainly I do my best to talk to people in the regions, have done a little bit of that lately," she said. "They still say they don't know who Chris Luxon is and what he stands for."That sentiment hit the headlines again this week after Luxon was confronted on his lack of cut-through with the public by cafe owner Michelle Cam during a carefully choreographed walkabout in Tawa.She recounted the conversation to Newstalk ZB's Nick Mills later that day."I just feel like I never see him out," she said. "It always seems to be Labour you see on TV and doing stuff in the media. We need to get to know him more. We need to know what he's about."Luxon's own MPs say the same thing. On Mills' show, National deputy leader Nicola Willis told him people just need to see the 24/7 Luxon she does."She was just really clear - 'more people need to get to know you'," she said. "And I think she's right. The more people get to know Chris, the more people hear National's plans, the more support we will get in this election."In March, National health spokesman Shane Reti blamed a poor preferred prime minister result for Luxon on voters not sharing his up-close, all-hours experience of the party leader. "I see the man that you don't see. I see the man after hours, and get to have those conversations and I think if New Zealanders can see that, they'll be as impressed as I am," he told RNZ."There are still many parts, many facets of Chris Luxon to be revealed to the public, and I'm impressed and I stand behind him."…Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details