This Saturday, thousands of citizens in New Zealand head to polling stations to take part in a general election that is especially contested between the incumbent conservative prime minister, Christopher Luxon, and the opposition leader and former Labour head of government, Chris Hipkins. The contest plays out with the focus on the rising cost of living, the employment situation, and the state of the health system, in a scenario in which minority parties could hold the key to the future Executive.
Polls indicate that the two main political forces are virtually tied, with neither of them reaching on its own the majority of seats needed to govern alone. In this context, smaller parties such as the usual coalition partners of Luxon’s National Party, ACT and New Zealand First, or the Green Party and the Maori, are emerging as possible arbiters capable of tipping the balance toward one or the other aspirant.
During the campaign, the debate has focused almost entirely on the economy. The conservatives have framed their proposal around achieving a budget surplus through fiscal adjustments, along with expanding the national pension system. Against this, the Labour Party has put the emphasis on the cost of living, committing to ease it through quality healthcare and cheaper transport.
New Zealand holds general elections every three years through a mixed-member proportional representation system to renew the 120 seats of Parliament. On this election day, polling stations will close at 19:00 hours (local time), and the Electoral Commission plans to release around 95% of the preliminary results in the hours after the polls close.