WELLINGTON, New Zealand
New Zealand Prime Minister Chris Hipkins has announced that he will continue to lead his liberal Labour Party despite a significant election loss. He stated that he still has a bit of fight left in him and that he and his party will be reflecting on their futures in the coming months.
The conservative National Party won 39% of the vote during the election, making it the largest share of any single party. The National Party plans to form a coalition with the libertarian ACT Party under New Zealand’s proportional system. The election result was disappointing for the party as a whole.
The Labour Party in New Zealand is set to face a landslide election, with the two main parties holding only a slim majority. The remaining 20% of outstanding votes could evaporate, necessitating the support of a third party, New Zealand First, led by Winston Peters.
Prime Minister John Luxon has not revealed the details of negotiations until a deal is finalized. The only roles locked in so far are his own as prime minister and his deputy, Nicola Willis, as finance minister. The final vote tally is expected to be announced in early November. Andrew Little, one of Hipkins’s top deputies, announced his retirement to allow a “face of the future” to take his place.
