New Zealand Election: National Party’s Chris Luxon Wins

The opposition National Party has won the New Zealand election, taking enough seats to form a coalition with its allies on the right wing of politics.

Incumbent prime minister Chris Hipkins, of Labour Party, phoned Nationa Party’s Chris Luxon to concede defeat.

Mr Luxon thanked National voters and said they had “reached for hope and you have voted for change”.

It marks a rapid elevation for Mr Luxon, who became an MP in 2020 and then National leader a year later.

The New Zealand Herald reported that National was projected to win 51 seats, Labour 33, the Greens 13, Act 12, NZ First 8 and Te Pāti Māori four seats.

Mr Hipkins, who took over as prime minister after the resignation of Jacinda Ardern, thanked supporters for their campaign work, and said the result was “not one that any of us wanted”.

Some of Mr Luxon’s key election campaign promises included tax cuts for middle-income earners, and a crackdown on crime.

One of the key issues ahead of the election was the cost of living in a country that has been particularly affected by the slowing economy in China, its largest trade partner, and the war in Ukraine.

The result is a shock for Labour, who under Ms Ardern secured an outright majority in government in 2020 – unheard of under New Zealand’s hybrid form of proportional representation.

But Labour has since lost support, with many New Zealanders dissatisfied over surging prices and the country’s long Covid lockdown.

The party’s losses were significant, with some high-profile members likely to lose their seats.

BBC