AUCKLAND, New Zealand (AP) — Polls have closed in New Zealand’s national elections and the first results are trickling in for what is shaping up to be a close race between conservative Prime Minister Bill English and liberal challenger Jacinda Ardern.

Early results on Saturday showed English’s National Party a little ahead of Ardern’s Labour Party.

However, under New Zealand’s proportional voting system, large parties typically must form alliances with smaller parties in order to govern. That means there’s a chance there will be no clear winner on election night, and that parties may bargain with each other over the coming days or weeks to form a coalition.

Ardern, 37, has enjoyed a remarkable surge in popularity since taking over as opposition leader last month. English, 55, has highlighted his experience and promised tax cuts. </s> New Zealand’s new opposition Labour party leader, Jacinda Ardern, speaks during an event held ahead of the national election at the Te Papa Museum in Wellington, New Zealand August 23, 2017. — Reuters picWELLINGTON, Aug 31 — New Zealand's opposition Labour Party today took the lead in opinion polls ahead of next month's election, continuing its resurgence under new leader Jacinda Ardern.

The widely respected 1News-Colmar Brunton poll put Labour on 43 per cent, two points ahead of the ruling National Party's 41.

It is the first time Labour has polled better than National since 2006 and means the centre-left party's support has soared 19 points since Ardern took over earlier this month.

The charismatic 37-year-old also edged ahead of Prime Minister Bill English as preferred leader, 34 per cent to 33.

In a phenomenon local media have dubbed "Jacinda-mania", Ardern has given the once moribund Labour Party a genuine chance of winning office in the September 23 election.

The poll was released just an hour before the first televised debate between Ardern and English, with both leaders downplaying its significance.

English said he believed National's support was stronger than indicated in the survey, although he refused to disclose what internal party polling was showing.

"We're seeing it bit stronger than that... it's clearly a close election, a drag race between the two major parties," he said.

Ardern said she was taking nothing for granted and there could be further momentum shifts during the campaign.

"I'm certainly not going to decide that it's a done deal right now," she said.

"There's been a huge amount of change in the last three to four weeks and it's been in Labour's favour, but it can turn in either direction."

English took over the New Zealand leadership late last year after the shock resignation of the popular John Key.

While he is yet to replicate Key's personal appeal, English has staked National's hopes of a record-equalling fourth term on maintaining the same policies as his predecessor.

With the economy in good health and growing about three percent a year, he said the election was a chance for voters to "build on our success".

"We've got a track record on delivery, our opponents have got vague, high-level statements and not much detail," he said.

Ardern said she wanted to see all New Zealanders share in the country's prosperity, emphasising issues such as education, health and housing affordability.

"I believe that New Zealand can be better than it is, that we can achieve much, much more than we are now," she said. </s> Jacinda Ardern says in debate with PM she is taking nothing for granted after poll gives her party a two-point advantage

This article is more than 2 years old

This article is more than 2 years old

The New Zealand Labour party has continued its extraordinary surge under the month-old leadership of Jacinda Ardern, with a new poll putting its support at a 10-year high and for the first time ahead of the governing National party in campaigning for September’s general election.

Ardern took control of the party on 1 August with Labour at an all-time low in the polls and has almost single-handedly reignited its chances of forming the next government.



New Zealand gripped by 'Jacindamania' as new Labour leader soars in polls Read more

Labour’s projected share of the vote has risen from 26% to 43% since Ardern, 37, became the party’s youngest leader. Labour now stands two points ahead of the National party, led by the prime minister, Bill English. The election takes place on 23 September.

Ardern and English met in a leaders’ debate on Thursday in which English was asked in the opening question: “Bill, why are you losing?”

Ardern, whose charisma and rising popularity prompted domestic media to coin the term “Jacindamania”, told the moderator, Mike Hosking, that she was not taking anything for granted.



“I’m certainly not going to decide that it’s somehow a done deal right now,” she said of Labour’s poll lead.

English and Hosking tussled over the poll and whether the prime minister could reveal another private polling number, which he claimed was better.

The debate between the two leaders was dominated by housing, tax and immigration. Ardern’s biggest challenge going into the debate was expected to be whether she could hold her own on economic issues alongside English, who is a former finance minister, as well as claims that Labour lacks clarity on future tax plans.Labour’s fiscal plan includes spending an additional $20bn (£11bn) over four years.

Political analysts were divided over which of the party leaders came out on top. Grant Duncan, an associate professor of political theory and New Zealand politics at Massey University, called it a draw. “The moderator put more pressure on Jacinda compared with the challenges to Bill over his government’s performance, handing Bill the advantage,” he said.

The New Zealand Herald’s political editor, Audrey Young, favoured Ardern. “It was Bill English but not as we know him. He sounded as though he has been in a debating bootcamp for the past week, learning about gesticulation, intonation, brevity and how good it is to smile.

“It doesn’t come naturally to him. She [Ardern] looked relaxed and assured and won hands down on presentation.”

English attacked what he called Labour’s “vague and confusing” policies and reiterated his party’s tax cut policies. “People can’t go shopping with your values … every person in New Zealand who does not have children will be worse off under Labour,” he said.

Ardern attacked National’s record on housing, reiterating a Labour plan to build 10,000 houses a year. Home ownership rates in New Zealand have fallen to their lowest since 1951 and affordability is one of the greatest challenges, with prices increasing 34% in the last three years.

English said affordability was better than it had been in 2008 due to low interest rates, to which Ardern replied: “Tell someone in Auckland that a $150,000 deposit is affordable.”

English asked whether Labour would tell meat workers why it would take $1,000 a year from them by cancelling tax cuts to make university “a bit cheaper for lawyers”. Ardern had announced on Tuesday that she would fast-track a Labour policy to phase in three years of free tertiary education.

Ardern said the money for Labour’s fiscal plan would come from cancelling tax cuts, paying off debt more slowly and cracking down on international tax avoidance. </s> The former New Zealand prime minister Bill English has resigned as leader of the opposition less than six months after being defeated by Labour’s ‘stardust’ Jacinda Ardern.

Speculation had been building for weeks that English would step aside, and the decision became clear after the National party met for a two-day conference in Tauranga last week.

“Now is the right time for me to step aside and embark on new professional and personal challenges. I informed the national caucus this morning that I am resigning as leader of the national party,” English said at an emotional press conference this morning.

“I believe this will give National’s new leader time to prepare the party time for the 2020 election. It has been a huge privilege to lead the party and serve in politics.”

English said he would step aside on 27 February.

National secured 46% of the vote in the 2017 September election, giving it 58 seats in parliament, while Labour took home 35.8% and 45 seats.

After weeks of deliberation kingmaker Winston Peters threw his support behind the Labour party, allowing them to form a coalition government with the Greens, as Ardern as prime minister. </s> WELLINGTON - New Zealand's opposition Labour Party on Thursday took the lead in opinion polls ahead of next month's election, continuing its resurgence under new leader Jacinda Ardern. The widely respected 1News-Colmar Brunton poll put Labour on 43 percent, two points ahead of the ruling National Party's 41. It is the first time Labour has polled better than National since 2006 and means the centre-left party's support has soared 19 points since Ardern took over earlier this month.The charismatic 37-year-old also edged ahead of Prime Minister Bill English as preferred leader, 34 percent to 33. </s> We are an hour away from polls closing in New Zealand’s general election after a campaign that has been more closely fought than anyone would have predicted barely two months ago.

But the catapulting of Jacinda Ardern into the Labour leadership on 1 August reinvigorated what had looked to be a predictable stroll for the National party to a fourth term in government.

Although the polls have swung back in favour of the incumbent prime minister, Bill English, in the closing stages of the campaign, it is still far from clear who will seal enough seats – and the almost certainly necessary support from smaller parties – to lead the next government.

We will have all the latest news, results and reactions on this live blog. Join us in the comments below or find me on Twitter @Claire_Phipps.

And a note to our New Zealand readers: please don’t tell us how you voted or how you think others should (at least not until after the polls have closed). Them’s the rules, you see. </s> WELLINGTON, New Zealand — Three weeks before a general election, the dramatic rise of New Zealand opposition leader Jacinda Ardern has been highlighted by an opinion poll that puts her liberal party ahead of the ruling conservatives for the first time in more than a decade.

The unexpected result caused the New Zealand dollar to drop late Thursday before regaining some ground as traders priced in an uncertain election outcome.

Commissioned by Television New Zealand, the poll indicated that Ardern's Labour Party is by 43 of voters, compared to 41 who the incumbent National Party, led by Prime Minister Bill English.

A similar poll taken just before 37-year-old Ardern took the reins a month ago showed the Labour Party on 24 support and the National Party on 47 . </s> WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) - New Zealand opposition leader Andrew Little quit Tuesday and was replaced by his 37-year-old deputy seven weeks before the general election, as the Labour Party tried to find a way to overcome recent dismal polling.

Supporters hope Jacinda Ardern will bring more charisma to the role and forge a stronger connection with younger voters.

But she faces a tough battle to unseat Prime Minister Bill English, whose conservative National Party has won the previous three elections and held power for nine years.

"Everyone knows that I have just accepted, with short notice, the worst job in politics," Ardern said. "There is no doubt that being in opposition is hard. That's why I'm using the next eight weeks to get our team out of it."

As recently as a few days ago, few people predicted Little would quit despite the party's struggle to gain traction with voters. Indeed, the party's campaign hoardings and leaflets featuring Little had already been printed.

But a recent survey of voters showed the Labour Party was polling just 24 percent. Little then told TV 1 News that he'd talked to colleagues about the possibility of stepping down, an admission that appeared to erode his leadership further.

He said he'd decided to step down because the polling results were building a narrative that was getting in the way of the party's important messages.

"I take responsibility for that and it is my judgment that the party and the people who we are campaigning for will be better served by a new leader who can bring a fresh face and a fresh voice to this vital campaign," he said.

Ardern said the situation was "not what anyone expected or wanted" but that her team was about to "run the campaign of our lives."

She said she would take the next three days to review the campaign and make any new policy announcements. She said her vision for New Zealand was a place where everyone had a roof over their heads, meaningful work and where education was free.

Ardern has a background in policy development and is the former president of the International Union of Socialist Youth. She was first elected to Parliament in 2008.

The Labour Party also chose as its new deputy Kelvin Davis, a former school principal and an indigenous Maori who is the party's spokesman for Maori Development.

Although Little quit as Labour leader, he remains a member of the Parliament. Ardern said she would consider him for a senior role if she wins the election.

Under New Zealand's proportional voting system, parties typically must form alliances to govern. Labour's most likely path to power is by forming alliances with the liberal Green Party and the New Zealand First party, which wants to limit immigration.

The National Party is seeking to retain its alliances with several small parties. But it may also vie for the support of New Zealand First, depending on the final vote tallies. New Zealand First has not indicated which of the two main parties it will back. </s> WELLINGTON (Reuters) - The race to form New Zealand's next government took an unexpected turn on Thursday (Aug 31) as a "bombshell" poll showed the opposition Labour party had overtaken the ruling National party, threatening its almost decade-long hold on power.

Prime Minister Bill English, 55, a political veteran and former finance minister, faces a highly contested race against Labour's Jacinda Ardern, 37, whose charisma and rising popularity have prompted domestic media to coin the term "Jacindamania".

National fell three points to 41 per cent, its lowest result since 2005, in a poll commissioned by 1 News and published on its website only an hour before Mr English and Ms Ardern face off in a debate.

Support for the newly invigorated Labour party jumped six points to 43 per cent, after the last-minute leadership change boosted its chances.

"This is a bombshell," said Mr Bryce Edwards, political analyst at Wellington-based Critical Politics. "It does mean that this campaign has turned on its head. National being in second place is entirely unexpected for the last ten years."

The result pushed the New Zealand currency to a three-month low of $0.7148 as the result at the Sept 23 election looks increasingly uncertain.

Ms Ardern, took the helm of the Labour Party this month, after poor poll results prompted the resignation of Mr Andrew Little, breathing fresh air into an election that until then had been widely considered a slam dunk for National.

National or Labour would still need to strike a deal with smaller parties to form a government in New Zealand's German-style proportional voting system.

The Green Party, with which Labour has an agreement to work, edged up to 5 per cent. The two parties would probably still need the nationalist New Zealand First party, which slipped two points to 8 per cent, to form a government.
The Labour Party, led by Jacinda Ardern, surges in the polls and is neck-and-neck with the National Party, led by Bill English, for the race for Prime Minister of New Zealand.