2020 New Zealand General Election

Politics & Elections
1

It’s time for the fourth triennial New Zealand General Election thread. Election day is 19 Septmeber. You can relive the drama of the last three threads here (2017, 2014, 2011). The 2011 thread has a good general introduction to the NZ electoral system and the main parties. Wikipedia’s [polling page] (Opinion polling for the 2020 New Zealand general election - Wikipedia) is great and keep well up to date by the wikipedians.

This time round, Labour appears to have a commanding lead, National have switched leaders twice in the past couple of months, the Greens have lost support and are in danger of dropping below 5%, New Zealand First are looking in real danger of dropping out of Parliament entirely, and ACT seem to be undergoing something of a resurgence.

2

It is going to really hard to usurp Labour following the good job they have done with CoVid.

I think the biggest debate this time round is going to be the two referenda - 1 for Euthanasia and the other for leglising cannabis.
Incidentially the biggest supporter for legalising the happy baccy is Helen Clark, who heading up a WHO corona virus investigation task force
“A former prime minister of New Zealand whose leadership was defined by stability and thoroughness has been appointed to investigate if the World Health Organization failed to adequately warn of the coronavirus pandemic.”

3

Yes the two referenda certainly look more competitive than the election itself.

4

Yeah I follow this only very remotely via kiwi friends but it looks as though Jacinda Ardern is currently even more trusted and admired as a leader than the guy Donald Trump imagines he sees in the mirror.

5

Her main opposition continues to wallow in disarray - a National MP just resigned after it was revealed he sent porn to a young woman.

6

I don’t typically follow NZ politics, but I wish all Kiwis here good luck with the results, and may the Kiwi version(s) of Trump lose their races.

7

The election was pushed back a month due to covid, but here’s the first leader’s debate for anyone who wants to watch it.

8

Huge congratulations to PM Jacinta Ardern and to the Labour Party; may you govern well.

9

Well that was a pretty comprehensive result for Labour. The first party to get an absolute majority in an MMP election. The increase in the ACT vote is quite a big deal. It looks like National lost voters to both the right and the left. I doubt Collins will survive as leader after that.

Winston is out of parliament again. Surely at 75 he can’t make yet another comeback. The Maori party look to have squeaked in in Waiariki with Rawiri Waititi looking to have won a narrow victory. Possibly the first MP to sport a full moko?

10

for a place with only 5 million people they get a lot of US press coverage. I guess if they did not speak English it would be less.

11

Collins was always a tough sell to the electorate. She comes across as someone with little empathy and minimal charisma (versus Ardern who is pretty much the opposite), and basically as someone is essentially in it for the power.

Um, I speak as someone who wasn’t voting for her party, of course.