The Prime Minister reckoned himself as some sort of political trailblazer after he sacked Melisa Lee from her Media and Communications portfolio this week.

“I appreciate this is not how things have been done in the past here, but expect this to happen going forward as well.”

It was a line he repeated a number of times over the course of his 40- minute press conference.

Casual observers would be forgiven for thinking Chris Luxon was the first Prime Minister to ever sack someone from his Cabinet.

But that’s far from the truth.

Chris Hipkins’ short tenure as PM was dominated by scandals and sackings (Stuart Nash, Michael Wood).

Jacinda Ardern before him is often mischaracterized as soft.

But she ended the political career of Iain-Lees Galloway hours after it was revealed he had slept with a staff member.

She also sacked Claire Curran as Broadcasting Minister within the first year of becoming PM and demoted Health Minister David Clark in the middle of a global pandemic.

In fact, less than an hour after Winston chose her as PM, Ardern told reporters that then-Greens co-leader Metiria Turei would not be a member of any Cabinet she led – essentially forcing her resignation some weeks later.

History shows Luxon’s not “doing things differently” -- he is simply being the Prime Minister.

That’s not to say he was wrong to do what he did.

Melisa Lee was not responsible for the downfall of Newshub, and the shedding of numerous 1News staff, including dozens of reporters.

Penny Simmonds’ somewhat tone-deaf response to cuts in the Disabilities Ministry was shoddy – but ultimately that Ministry still faces the same tough decisions all other Ministries do when it comes to cuts.

Although Luxon couldn’t bring himself to admit it, the pair had become a distraction – and distractions need to be dealt with quickly.

Luxon’s made no secret about his friendship with former Prime Minister John Key, nicknamed the Smiling Assassin.

Key was no stranger to cutting loose a Minister when he needed to; whether that be to clear Cabinet deadwood or to eliminate someone who had become a distraction.

On Wednesday, Luxon took a page out of Key’s playbook.

And in doing so, he issued a not-so-subtle warning to his other Ministers.

"I’m just one of those people, and I’ve done it in my former life, [who] will make constant adjustments to my team to make sure I have the right people, on the right assignment, at the right time.”

He went on to say he wanted to make sure he’s got “[his] aces in their places”.

Translation: Luxon's got no problem discarding a card or two should those an ace turn into a joker.

But not all his Cabinet cards are created equal.

As Ardern found out soon into her tenure as Prime Minister, disciplining your own Ministers is easy.

Things get much, much harder when Ministers from support parties put a foot out of line.

Shane Jones was one such Minister who often flirted with that line. And every time he crossed it, Ardern would slap his wrist with a wet bus ticket.

When Winston Peters spoke out of turn, he wouldn’t even get that.

Luxon faces a similar problem.

Peters continues to be outspoken; as does Act leader and soon-to-be Deputy Prime Minister David Seymour.

But so far, Luxon’s turned somewhat of a blind eye to their outbursts.

That was until last week, when Seymour and Jones were openly critical of the Waitangi Tribunal – with Seymour going as far as suggesting it should be wound down.

Luxon dubbed the comments “ill-considered” -- but that is, more or less, as far as he took it.

Labour Leader Chris Hipkins noted that the sins of Seymour and Jones were greater than those of Lee and Simmonds. Yet, they remain inside Cabinet and firmly in control of all their respective Ministerial portfolios.

Hipkins knows full well this will never happen. Sacking an ACT MP would risk a snap election; sacking an NZ First MP would all but guarantee it.

Luxon has no other choice but to follow the lead of Ardern, and dish out wet bus ticket slaps.

Either that, or actually do something that’s not usually done and take a page out of Jenny Shipley’s book.

But sacking Winston would create way more problems than it’s worth.

Sacking Lee and Simmonds, comparatively, was child’s play.