Referencing the religious content.
Luxon's speech was deliberately & clearly crafted to front foot the issue of his Evangelical Christian beliefs which risk being a big turn off for middle NZ voters.
"The trick for Luxon is to convince the public there's no threat, that he'd be a leader for all, not just the religious right."
It's a big vulnerability esp when you look more closely at Evangelical Christians beliefs, including broadly that women should submit to the authority & leadership of their husbands, they encourage women to have a submissive role. You won't find women in leadership roles in Evangelical churches.
You'd have to think seriously about someone who attends a church where sermons from the pulpit are laced with, while a wife may not agree her husband, she should just do whatever he says, because that's what women are called to do.
Apart from the anti-euthanasia, anti same- sex marriage, etc stuff,
this risks a big turn off to a section of National supporters as well as middle NZ, and don't think the liberal's in National's caucus as well as Labour's media team won't be thinking about this already.
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/on-the-in...-ground-voters