# 2014 New Zealand General Election **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [August 18, 2014, 12:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2014-new-zealand-general-election/695795 "2014-08-18T00:51:07Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![lisiate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f05b48/32.png) [@lisiate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lisiate)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2014, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2014-new-zealand-general-election/695795/21 "2014-09-14T22:12:17Z")
Less than a week now and National retains a commanding lead. Short of adopting [Fijian-style numbered ballots](http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-08-18/fiji-ballot/5678840)\* they’re pretty much a lock. The Conservatives also look likely to break the 5 per cent threshold and thus qualify for list seats. [Kim.com](http://Kim.com) has his big ‘Moment of Truth’ announcement tonight, which is expected to be Glenn Greenwald revealing details of mass surveillance of electronic communications by the security services. But I don’t think it’ll change many people’s minds - if _Dirty Politics_ wasn’t enough to deter someone from voting for National I doubt this will. National’s continued aversion to releasing detailed policies remained in place. And their awesomely cynical strategy of [tripling the national debt](http://www.tradingeconomics.com/new-zealand/government-debt-to-gdp)\*\* while in office and then criticising their opponent’s polices as being ‘unaffordable’ and ‘fiscally irresponsible’ seems to continue to be a winner as well. After voting on Saturday I’m taking my kid to the rugby to forget about it all. \*Seriously check them out, Fijian voters are expected to memorise a 3-digit number for their favoured candidate and select them off a grid of over two hundred such numbers! \*\*National came into office in 2008, to be fair there was a bit of a global financial crisis going on as well I guess. ---
**Author:** ![Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2014, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2014-new-zealand-general-election/695795/22 "2014-09-14T22:16:33Z")
> [@lisiate](#): > > \*Seriously check them out, Fijian voters are expected to memorise a 3-digit number for their favoured candidate and select them off a grid of over two hundred such numbers! “The design of the ballot has attracted criticism that it is potentially confusing.” You think? ---
**Author:** ![lisiate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f05b48/32.png) [@lisiate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lisiate)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2014, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2014-new-zealand-general-election/695795/23 "2014-09-14T22:27:11Z")
Great bit of Aussie understatement there. ---
**Author:** ![Cunctator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/43a26b/32.png) [@Cunctator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cunctator)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2014, 10:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2014-new-zealand-general-election/695795/24 "2014-09-19T10:10:01Z")
So it’s the evening before polling day. What’s the final feeling? ---
**Author:** ![lisiate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f05b48/32.png) [@lisiate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lisiate)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2014, 9:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2014-new-zealand-general-election/695795/25 "2014-09-20T09:06:57Z")
Sorry didn’t see your post yesterday, no real change since the start of the week. We went down to the local school and voted at lunchtime, no queues at all, in and out in 5 minutes. The polls closed two hours ago, and with 41% of the votes counted National look to get about 49% overall. The Conservatives look like they’re fall short of 5%, Colin Craig is on the TV all but conceding that point. But National’s position is such they’ll only need Peter Dunne and the Act guy to form a government. And Internet Mana look in trouble, with Hone Harawira falling behind in Te Tai Tokerau. ---
**Author:** ![Cunctator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/43a26b/32.png) [@Cunctator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cunctator)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2014, 9:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2014-new-zealand-general-election/695795/26 "2014-09-20T09:29:54Z")
I’m watching the count now. It looks like Labour has done particularly badly. ---
**Author:** ![lisiate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f05b48/32.png) [@lisiate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lisiate)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2014, 9:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2014-new-zealand-general-election/695795/27 "2014-09-20T09:40:59Z")
Yep, 2011’s result of 27.48% was disastrous for Labour, here they look likely to be below 25%. Switching Leaders a year or so out looks to have lost them 5-6%, with much of those voters going to New Zealand First. ---
**Author:** ![Cunctator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/43a26b/32.png) [@Cunctator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cunctator)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2014, 10:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2014-new-zealand-general-election/695795/28 "2014-09-20T10:17:08Z")
Yes. It’s interesting to see electorates where the individual Labour candidate has a clear lead but the party vote strongly favours National. The sentiment seems to be "I like my Labour member, but I’d rather Key than Cunliffe as PM. ---
**Author:** ![Robrein](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robrein/32/6728_2.png) [@Robrein](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robrein)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2014, 10:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2014-new-zealand-general-election/695795/29 "2014-09-20T10:19:54Z")
TVNZ is predicting 62 seats for the Nats, with 92.3% counted. So it looks like they may have got their majority (out of 120). ---
**Author:** ![Cunctator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/43a26b/32.png) [@Cunctator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cunctator)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2014, 10:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2014-new-zealand-general-election/695795/30 "2014-09-20T10:58:36Z")
If that were the case, would it be the first government with an absolute majority since the change to MMP? ---
**Author:** ![Robrein](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robrein/32/6728_2.png) [@Robrein](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robrein)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2014, 11:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2014-new-zealand-general-election/695795/31 "2014-09-20T11:20:16Z")
I may have spoke to soon, they are now saying 61 out of 121 (silly overhang), 99.4% counted. Minus the speaker…who the hell knows. Drinking time! ---
**Author:** ![lisiate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f05b48/32.png) [@lisiate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lisiate)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2014, 11:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2014-new-zealand-general-election/695795/32 "2014-09-20T11:42:41Z")
> [@Cunctator](#): > > If that were the case, would it be the first government with an absolute majority since the change to MMP? Yep, although they got less than 50% of the total vote, 6.2% went to parties which didn’t qualify for seats, so they’ll be an absolute majority. ---
**Author:** ![lisiate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f05b48/32.png) [@lisiate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lisiate)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2014, 12:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2014-new-zealand-general-election/695795/33 "2014-09-20T12:14:30Z")
Here are the [Official results](http://www.electionresults.govt.nz/partystatus.html). > [@](#): > > Party Party Votes % Votes ElectorateSeats ListSeats TotalSeats > National Party 1,010,464 48.06 41 20 61 > Labour Party 519,146 24.69 27 5 32 > Green Party 210,764 10.02 0 13 13 > NZ First Party 186,031 8.85 0 11 11 > Māori Party 27,074 1.29 1 1 2 > ACT New Zealand 14,510 0.69 1 0 1 > United Future 4,533 0.22 1 0 1 > Conservative 86,616 4.12 0 0 0 > Internet MANA 26,539 1.26 0 0 0 > Aotearoa Legalise 8,539 0.41 0 0 0 > Cannabis Party > Ban1080 4,368 0.21 0 0 0 > Democrats for Social Credit 1,609 0.08 0 0 0 > The Civilian Party 906 0.04 0 0 0 > NZ Independent Coalition 895 0.04 0 0 0 > Focus New Zealand 677 0.03 0 0 0 > 71 50 121 Turnout was 76.48%, up 2% from last time. ---
**Author:** ![Cunctator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/43a26b/32.png) [@Cunctator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cunctator)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2014, 12:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2014-new-zealand-general-election/695795/34 "2014-09-20T12:57:29Z")
An astoundingly emphatic result for a third term government. ---
**Author:** ![lisiate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f05b48/32.png) [@lisiate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lisiate)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2014, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2014-new-zealand-general-election/695795/35 "2014-09-20T21:03:39Z")
There’s no doubt about it. The people love John Key. Three more years of asset sales and services cuts ahead. ---
**Author:** ![Ken001](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/43a26b/32.png) [@Ken001](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ken001)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2014, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2014-new-zealand-general-election/695795/36 "2014-09-20T23:16:07Z")
Well this has been an astonishing election. The first time historically that the leading political party (National) has increased its votes for a third term. Normally third terms come at a very slim margin. Whilst this pleases me, governments need to face a strong Opposition to keep them responsible so I take no joy in the Labour and Green collapse. They will spend the next few months licking their wounds and studying chicken entrails. Actually we are now going to see some rather entertaining gnashing of teeth and deep political theorising as to why NZ has turned from centre right to even more centre right. 😃 I love this stuff, its about the only time we see considered academic discussion in the media. ---
**Author:** ![Cunctator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/43a26b/32.png) [@Cunctator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cunctator)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2014, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2014-new-zealand-general-election/695795/37 "2014-09-20T23:16:19Z")
> [@lisiate](#): > > There’s no doubt about it. The people love John Key. Three more years of asset sales and services cuts ahead. And competent leadership. It will always win out over policy issues/positions. Key projects authority and competence in spades. Cunliffe and the Labour Party didn’t. ---
**Author:** ![Ken001](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/43a26b/32.png) [@Ken001](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ken001)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2014, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2014-new-zealand-general-election/695795/38 "2014-09-20T23:22:41Z")
> [@bengangmo](#): > > [McGillicuddy Serious Party](http://www.teara.govt.nz/en/interactive/34325/mcgillicuddy-serious-party) still around? Fortunately the Civilian Party stepped up to the plate. One primary policy plank: Establish a space program, and become the first nation in Australasia to send a man to the moon; not to explore it, just someone we don’t like. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/oOlYWwScSgE/maxresdefault.jpg "The Civilian Party: Policy Ad #1") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oOlYWwScSgE) ---
**Author:** ![bengangmo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/50afbb/32.png) [@bengangmo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bengangmo)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2014, 7:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2014-new-zealand-general-election/695795/39 "2014-09-21T07:36:16Z")
> [@lisiate](#): > > Yep, although they got less than 50% of the total vote, 6.2% went to parties which didn’t qualify for seats, so they’ll be an absolute majority. Wow… the Nats got an absolute Majority without having to fellate Winnie? How good is that? Must be the first time under MMP it has happened right? I might be heading home soon, so let’s hope it’s good news ---
**Author:** ![Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2014, 8:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2014-new-zealand-general-election/695795/40 "2014-09-21T08:17:37Z")
Educate me: I thought a party had to have 5% of the vote to have candidates selected from the list, yet the Maori Party got one with only 1.29%. What don’t I know? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2014-new-zealand-general-election/695795.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2014-new-zealand-general-election/695795.md?page=3)