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This Month

Prime Minister-elect Christopher Luxon greets deputy leader Nicola Willis (right) in Auckland.

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.

  • Tom Rabe
Prime Minister elect Christopher Luxon greets deputy leader Nicola Willis, right, in Auckland.

New PM Luxon wants ‘right chemistry’ in NZ coalition

Chris Luxon’s National party failed to win a majority after turfing Labour from office at Saturday’s election, and must work with minor parties to form government.

  • Ben McKay
Kingmaker? New Zealand First leader Winston Peters.

Winston Peters, New Zealand’s political comeback kid, does it again

Not only has Mr Peters resurrected New Zealand First’s fortunes after it was ousted from parliament at the 2020 election, the party may also be part of the next government.

  • Ainsley Thomson
“I’ve done a lot of mergers and acquisitions”: NZ prime minister-elect Chris Luxon in Auckland on Sunday.

Why voters ran out of patience with New Zealand’s progressive government

Six years after ‘Jacindamania’ swept New Zealand, its Labour government, hampered by the pandemic and natural disasters, ran out of time to deliver much of the progressive reform it promised.

  • Tom Rabe
Prime minister-elect Christopher Luxon in Auckland on Sunday.

Luxon vows back-to-basics government as he begins coalition talks

The PM-elect vowed to deliver on his promise of tax cuts for working New Zealanders, but will need to compromise with coalition partners on other policies.

  • Tom Rabe
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Christopher Luxon:

‘New Zealanders have chosen change.’ Luxon is new Prime Minister

With almost 95 per cent of votes counted on Saturday night, the centre-right National Party was poised to form a coalition government after winning close to 40 per cent of the primary party vote.

  • Updated
  • Tom Rabe
Democracy sausage: New Zealand Prime Minister Chris Hipkins on the campaign trail.

New Zealand PM issues warning over ‘coalition of chaos’

Chris Hipkins’ Labour Party is likely to lose the election on Saturday after he took over from Jacinda Ardern who resigned in January.

  • Tom Rabe
National leader Chris Luxon on his campaign bus this week.

Why voters are fed up in New Zealand

Support is set to swell for minor parties at the election on Saturday. Pundits say exasperation with Labour and a distrust of National are at the heart of the discontent.

  • Tom Rabe
New Zealand Prime Minister Chris Hipkins casts his early vote in Auckland.

Hipkins hits NZ Nationals on Maori record as election nears

Almost 1 million Kiwis have voted early for this weekend’s election, expected to be won by Christopher Luxon’s centre-right National Party.

  • Ben McKay

Why NZ’s likely new PM channels Mark McGowan

The man widely tipped to become New Zealand’s next prime minister says he’s looked to Australia to develop many of his signature policies.

  • Tom Rabe
ACT leader David Seymour said “ultimately we’re all social liberals”.

NZ’s political maverick says party has teal streak

Libertarian David Seymour’s party could prove critical in deciding the next New Zealand government after weekend elections.

  • Tom Rabe
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and his New Zealand counterpart Chris Hipkins in July.

New Zealand PM warns of ‘missed opportunity’ for trans-Tasman relations

Chris Hipkins believes a change in government at this weekend’s election would be a missed opportunity for trans-Tasman relations.

  • Tom Rabe
Chris Hipkins is still hoping to pull off a 1993-style “Keating-esque” surprise victory.

Hipkins hopes for ‘Keating-style’ win at NZ election

Seven years after Jacinda Ardern and her progressive brand swept to power in New Zealand, frustration over the cost of living could boot Labour from office.

  • Tom Rabe

September

Leader of New Zealand’s opposition National Party, Chris Luxon, a former Air New Zealand CEO, is widely expected to win the October 14th general election.

How did it all go wrong for New Zealand Labour?

Less than three years after Jacinda Ardern won a stunning election victory, Prime Minister Chris Hipkins is heading for defeat at the polls on October 14.

  • Luke Malpass
David Seymour: “We are a party that believes in personal freedom. We believe people should be judged on what they actually do, not what their group, gender or sexuality is.”

Twerking libertarian poised for power broker role in New Zealand

David Seymour, leader of the right-wing ACT Party, could become a senior minister if, as polls predict, the ruling Labour Party is ousted at the October 14 election.

  • Updated
  • Matthew Brockett
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China bolsters ties with gas-rich Timor-Leste

China’s Xi Jinping has met with Timor-Leste’s Xanana Gusmao, promising greater economic cooperation, including possibilities for joint oil and gas exploration.

  • Albee Zhang
Auckland port.

New Zealand’s economy to stay sluggish for two more years

A weaker budget outlook comes less than five weeks before an October general election that leaves political parties little room for lavish spending promises.

  • Tracy Withers

August

Shopping in Wellington. The economy shrank in the final three months of 2022 and in the first quarter of 2023 as higher interest rates and rising prices stalled consumer spending.

New Zealand cuts spending as downturn, China strain budget

Finance Minister Grant Robertson has instructed the public service to cut spending on consultants and contractors and said he would also reduce future budget allowances.

  • Tracy Withers