New Zealand’s prime minister survives another confidence vote

New Zealand's Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said Wednesday that he survived another confidence vote and will remain leader of the governing National Party, state media reported.

The announcement came after an urgent National Party caucus meeting was held in the capital Wellington, said Radio New Zealand.

Luxon told reporters that he had survived the confidence vote with the "full support" of his caucus and confirmed he would remain the party leader.

"We're going back to work, and we're moving on," he said.

The confidence vote came less than three months before New Zealand's general election as the ruling party prepares for the campaign.

It marked the second such vote Luxon has faced since assuming office, with the first held in April.

The latest vote was called after a series of missteps by Luxon, including telling small business leaders that they held a "negative view" about operating in a tough economy and had a "parent-child mentality" with the government, for which he apologized, his use of a military plane for travel to Auckland, and pledging to put the country's electoral system to a referendum if voted back in, catching his party off guard and prompting him to apologize.

New Zealanders will head to the polls on Nov. 7.