In a survey of senior business leaders, the Prime Minister was placed 15th in Cabinet rankings.
The New Zealand Herald published its latest Mood of the Boardroom survey, receiving 150 responses from chief executives.
Luxon received an average score of 2.96 out of 5, with one indicating “not impressive” and five meaning “very impressive.”
According to the results, Finance Minister Nicola Willis, like Prime Minister Luxon, is also ranked outside the top 10 performers.
Willis achieved an average performance score of 3.09 out of 5, placing her 13th in the Cabinet rankings.
“While people’s confidence is starting to increase again, it’s not across the board; various sectors are thriving, others are not,” Herald head of business Fran O’Sullivan told Morning Report.
“There’s a bit of a question as to whether there needs to be more assistance in the economy for those firms, particularly those who have been hit by energy issues.”
O’Sullivan remarked that the findings on the Prime Minister’s performance were mixed.
“The big issue is I think he probably needs to listen more; he’s got a mantra that has started to grate, and he knows that.”
“But those people who have travelled with him internationally do rate him; they see him as focused and driven and really acting in New Zealand’s best interests,” O’Sullivan said.
“He rates very highly also when it comes to ensuring his Cabinet ministers are focused and delivering; he actually rates reasonably well on keeping a coalition together.”
However, O’Sullivan noted that Luxon scored poorly in building business confidence, his political performance, and in transforming the economy.
“So in those areas he’s got work to do.”
Meanwhile, for Finance Minister Nicola Willis, O’Sullivan highlighted potential areas where she could focus her efforts, rather than pointing out her mistakes.
“They’ve embarked on an economic transformation and growth agenda, and at this stage of the game there’s only marginal support for that,” she said.
“She’s still got to build confidence in that and roll it out in a concerted way.”
O’Sullivan mentioned that respondents disliked Willis “personalising issues,” referencing a meeting at the Beehive over butter prices with Fonterra chief executive Miles Hurrell.
National’s Chris Bishop said the government would consider the survey feedback, which reflected the difficult period New Zealand had experienced as a nation.