New Zealand Election Too Close to Call Three Months From Vote

Tracy Withers
·1 min read

(Bloomberg) -- New Zealand’s general election remains too close to call three months out from the vote, with the ruling Labour Party and the main opposition National Party almost neck-and-neck in the latest opinion poll.

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Support for Labour fell 2 percentage points to 33% in a 1News/Verian poll published Monday in Wellington, while National also dropped 2 points to 35%. Labour’s partner the Green Party rose 3 points to 10%, while National’s ally the ACT Party gained 1 point to 12% support.

If the results were replicated at the election on Oct. 14, National and ACT would be able to command 61 seats and therefore a slim majority in the 120-seat parliament. Labour and the Greens would be unable to form a government even with the support of the smaller Maori Party.

Prime Minister Chris Hipkins initially boosted Labour’s chances of winning a third term when he took over from Jacinda Ardern in January, but the party’s support has now declined for a third straight poll as the government grapples with soaring prices and a weakening economy.

Hipkins remains the nation’s most-preferred prime minister but the gap with National leader Christopher Luxon has narrowed. Support for Hipkins fell 1 point to 24% while support for Luxon gained 2 points to 20%.

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