Christopher Luxon Wins New Zealand Election

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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.