Christopher Luxon Wins New Zealand Election

Facts

• Christopher Luxon will form the next government in New Zealand after his center-right National Party won a decisive election on Saturday.¹
• With more than two-thirds of the vote counted, the National Party sat at nearly 40% in New Zealand's polls, while incumbent Prime Minister Chris Hipkins' Labour Party placed second with 25%.²
• The Prime Minister-elect is expected to form a coalition with the libertarian ACT Party and populist New Zealand First.³
• Luxon's National Party and the ACT have secured 61 seats — enough to form a majority government in the 121-seat parliament — while New Zealand First has clinched eight seats.⁴
• Hipkins conceded defeat and told supporters, 'I want you to be proud of what we achieved over the last six years.'⁵
• Meanwhile, Luxon said he would 'build the economy,' 'bring down the cost of living,' and 'restore law and order.'⁶

Sources: ¹Al Jazeera, ²The Wire, ³Reuters, ⁴The Conversation, ⁵Sky News and ⁶BBC News.

Narratives

• Right narrative, as provided by The Post. New Zealand has voted for change. While the result could be a shock for Labour, which secured a landslide victory in 2020, New Zealanders — battling the hangover of the pandemic and a struggling economy — have elected an accomplished former businessman to steer the country out of a cost-of-living crisis.
• Left narrative, as provided by The New York Times. Though he has promised tax cuts for middle-income earners and a crackdown on crime, a lot of distrust remains as Luxon has been accused of tacitly condoning racism by not calling it out. Moreover, his cheerful disposition will be tested as he manages a coalition with two party leaders who are poles apart politically.