New Zealand counts the votes in knife-edge poll

New Zealand began counting the votes Saturday in one of the closest elections in its history, with none of the parties expected to secure a majority of seats after a campaign dominated by worries over rising costs of living and the economy.

Kiwis are struggling to make ends meet – the price of basic goods remains stubbornly high, and unemployment is at its highest in more than a decade.

The war in the Middle East and the subsequent global fuel shock have been widely blamed for the hit to New Zealand’s trade-dependent economy.

Prime Minister Christopher Luxon is hoping his right-wing coalition can cling to power with promises of no new taxes after three fractious years in office, two failed bids by his own National Party to oust him as leader and an economy in the doldrums.

He has told AFP he sees himself as a “super salesman” for the country and vowed to sign more free trade deals if re-elected.

Former premier Chris Hipkins’ centre-left Labour have promised help with living costs, from free doctor’s visits and prescriptions to a cap on public transport fares.

He said Friday he was sure his party would “exceed expectations”.

But neither is expected to win enough seats in New Zealand’s parliament to govern alone, focusing intense attention on the country’s minor parties, in particular the upstart centrist Opportunity Party.

Under the country’s mixed-member proportional representation (MMP) system, voters must tick two options – a general party list as well as an individual member to represent their electorate.

Opinion polls in the lead-up to the vote put Opportunity over 5% – the threshold needed to gain seats in parliament without an electorate candidate win.

Anti-establishment feeling

The party is led by former KPMG consultant Qiulae Wong, who has vowed kinder, gentler politics and said she could work with either of the two parties if elected.

“I think New Zealanders are really tired of politicians’ name-calling, the bickering, and the political point-scoring,” she told AFP last week.

“They want something different, and they really want some hope and optimism for the future.”

David Capie, a professor at Victoria University of Wellington, said voter fatigue with the two establishment parties was fuelling Wong’s rise.

“In some ways, it looks to me a bit like a bit of a blank slate where people are projecting what they would like,” he said.

“I don’t think many New Zealanders have actually gone and read the details of Opportunity’s manifesto, but it’s got a very telegenic, very reasonable leader.”

A final opinion poll released on Friday put Labour at 30% of the vote, just ahead of the National Party.

At a Labour event in Upper Hutt near Wellington on Saturday, party workers were quietly confident they had secured the largest number of seats.

Prime Minister Luxon has said he’s “given up on polls” and urged voters on Friday to “stick to the plan that’s working”.

“Don’t risk a Labour government.”

Prices ‘too high’

The centre-left party was turfed out of office in 2023, having struggled to inspire voters following the resignation of former prime minister Jacinda Ardern, who became a global progressive icon.

Her replacement, Hipkins, hasn’t quite inherited her star quality – instead portraying himself as an everyman, joking about his poor dress sense, love of sausage rolls and passion for DIY.

The party will also likely need to govern in coalition with the left-wing Green Party, which has surged to record support with a focus on the rising costs of living.

On the streets of Wellington, New Zealanders told AFP they were struggling to get by and thinking twice about paying for things they had once taken for granted.

“The prices are really high,” said Jay Ikaua, a cultural advisor.

“I have to make conscious decisions. Do I buy that? Do I not buy that?”

“And it’s the things we need – public transport, food.”

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