NZ Labour’s rout a warning for Australia
Labour haemorrhaged votes to the left and right. It was punished by voters who believed it had spent years in government focusing on side issues. New Zealand's incoming prime minister, Christopher Luxon, has been warned that half a million uncounted votes are likely to determine his ability to implement change and whether unpredictable political maverick Winston Peters and his New Zealand First Party can curb his legislative agenda. Despite Luxon’s centre-right National Party recording close to 39% of the primary vote and leading Labour from office, New Zealand's mixed member proportional system ensures horse-trading with minor parties is required to form government. Luxon's National Party holds a slim majority in a coalition agreement with the libertarian ACT Party, but 570,000 votes could change that equation and require a third coalition partner. The results from these “special votes”, mostly postal ballots, will be confirmed in early November.
ที่ตีพิมพ์ : 2 ปีที่แล้ว โดย Tom Rabe ใน World
″New Zealanders have chosen change and we will deliver it,” vowed victorious incoming prime minister Christopher Luxon on election night last weekend in Auckland.
But half a million uncounted votes are likely to determine how much freedom Luxon will have to implement change and whether unpredictable political maverick Winston Peters and his New Zealand First Party can curb his legislative agenda.
Despite Luxon’s centre-right National Party recording close to 39 per cent of the primary vote and chasing Labour from office, New Zealand’s mixed member proportional system almost always ensures horse-trading with minor parties is required to form government.
This election is no different. Luxon’s National Party holds a slim majority in a coalition agreement with the libertarian ACT Party, though 570,000 votes could change that equation and require a third coalition partner to be pulled into the mix.
The results from these “special votes”, mostly postal ballots, will be confirmed in early November, leaving Luxon with his plan to “get New Zealand back on track” treading water and privately negotiating with minor right-wing parties for several weeks.
The National leader swept to power with a back-to-basics campaign promising to address cost-of-living pressures, cut taxes and reduce crime. He accused the Labour government of losing touch with New Zealanders under the leadership of progressive icon Jacinda Ardern.
Despite Ardern resigning as Prime Minister in January and her predecessor Chris Hipkins moving to scrap many of her bold reform projects to signal a return to bread and butter politics, Labour’s vote was cut almost in half as the party haemorrhaged votes to the left and right.
The party was punished by voters who believed it had spent years in government focusing on peripheral issues as cost-of-living pressures mounted, with right-wing minor parties railing against the Maori representation measures Ardern championed in office.
“People were thinking ‘I can’t afford to pay for my groceries, why are you focused on these pet projects?’,” one former Labour staffer says.
หัวข้อ: Australia