Labour's Willie Jackson has slammed Christopher Luxon, demanding he apologises to New Zealanders over his "extraordinarily offensive" comments made earlier this week.
The National Party leader was caught on a Newshub camera on Monday saying: "We have become a very negative, wet, whiny, inward-looking country and we have lost the plot and we have got to get our mojo back."
Luxon has since clarified that he meant to direct the comments towards the Labour Government.
"There's nothing wrong with New Zealand or New Zealanders. It's the best country on planet Earth and we have endless potential," he told reporters on Tuesday.
But Jackson wants him to go further, demanding he apologises to the whole country.
"Chris Luxon owes every New Zealander an apology for this disgraceful comment about New Zealand!" Jackson wrote in a post on Facebook.
The Labour Minister said Luxon's comments were "extraordinarily offensive" to Kiwis doing it tough and those impacted by the recent weather events.
"He is talking down our country while proposing policy that is harsh, mean and stupid!" Jackson continued.
"We have our challenges as a country which we must work together to fix, but he is nothing more than a negative hater fixated on helping the few and not the many."
Jackson then went on to say New Zealand will be in "enormous trouble" if National and ACT become Government at this year's election.
The latest opinions polls have found National and ACT could get enough votes to form the next Government.
"This is not the first time Chris has attacked New Zealand and it won't be the last time because he is a politician focused on being divisive and not providing hope for New Zealand in tough times," Jackson said.
"We deserve a better Opposition than he is leading."
