New Zealand to Hold General Election on November 7
New Zealand will hold its next general election on Saturday, November 7, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon announced on Wednesday, setting the stage for a closely contested vote amid economic uncertainty.
Luxon leads a conservative coalition government comprising the centre-right National Party and its partners, New Zealand First and the ACT Party, which has been in power since winning the 2023 election. The prime minister said voters would be asked to decide which party or coalition is best placed to provide stability, economic growth and responsible public spending in a volatile global environment.
The announcement comes as Luxon’s popularity has declined over the past year, largely due to a weakening domestic economy. Opinion polls suggest a tight race, with neither the governing coalition nor the opposition Labour Party, led by former prime minister Chris Hipkins, currently commanding majority support.
Economic issues are expected to dominate the campaign, with sluggish growth over the past two years, house prices still well below their 2021 peak, and unemployment above five percent. The government is hoping recent signs of recovery, including a 1.1 percent economic expansion in the third quarter, will help boost voter confidence.
New Zealand operates a mixed-member proportional electoral system, which has made coalition governments the norm since its introduction in 1996. Parliament has a three-year term, and the latest possible date for the election under the law is December 19, 2026.
Comments
This post currently has no comments.