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The term means the 40-year-old Ardern could form the first one-party government in decades and face the challenge of delivering on the progressive transformation he promised but failed to achieve in his first term, where Labor shared power with a nationalist party. .
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern showed a strong early lead in the country’s general elections and was on her way to a second term.
In a speech, Ardern said: “Tonight New Zealand has shown the Labor Party its strongest support in 50 years.”
“We’ve seen that support in urban seats and rural seats and seats that we may not have expected. And for that I only have two words: Thank you ”.
He added: “This is no ordinary election and this has not been an ordinary time” and urged New Zealanders to “step forward together.”
“As a nation, we can listen, we can debate … we are too small to lose sight of other people’s perspective,” Ardern said.
Voting began Saturday with initial polls following a campaign by incumbent Ardern dominated by her handling of the Covid-19 pandemic.
So far, 90 percent of the votes have been counted and Labor is expected to win 64 seats.
Meanwhile, the Maori Party has gained leadership in one of the seven Maori electorates. Ardern began and ended his speech in Maori tea.
Ardern told reporters after his win: “It’s fair to say I didn’t have a lot of money,” when he imagined what the results would be like tonight.
On stage, he said, “And to those of you who may not have supported the Labor Party before, and the results tell me it was some of you, I thank you.” We will not take your support for granted. And I can promise you that we will be a ruling party for all New Zealanders. “
This is the first absolute majority government since New Zealand adopted its proportional voting system in 1996, under which a party or coalition requires 61 seats in a 120 parliament, about 48 percent of the votes, to form a government. .
Ardern and 61-year-old opposition leader Judith Collins, of the center-right National Party, clashed in elections to form the country’s 53rd parliament after Ardern’s three-year term.
Initial counts showed that Labor had 50.3 percent of the vote, while the opposition had 25.9 percent.
As the US elections approach, Ardern said onstage that the elections “do not have to be divisive.”
Of the current partners in the Labor coalition, the First Nationalist Party of New Zealand had 2.2% and the Green Party 8.7%.
Throughout the election, Labor has led by wide margins and original polls suggested that Ardern was on track to form a Labor-only government.
Subsequently, the minor parties often play an influential role in determining the outcome and more recent polls suggested that Ardern would need the continued support of the minor Green Party, led by James Shaw.
The election has been delayed for a month due to a surge in infections in the country’s largest city, Auckland.
Ardern implemented a second lockdown in the city after a family of four tested positive for the virus on August 11, causing the largest cluster of infections in the country.
It remains the case that only New Zealand residents, citizens and their parents and partners are allowed to enter the country.
The Ardern Labor Party slogan has been “Let’s keep moving” as they campaign as one of the most successful countries in their handling of Covid.
The National Party has been campaigning to assert better economic management.
The country, with a population of five million, does not have community cases and is one of the few nations that does not require the mandatory use of masks and social distancing in public spaces.
Throughout the pandemic, there have been 25 deaths and under the Ardern government, fewer than 2,000 cases have been reported.
Ms Ardern’s government has led with a “zero covid strategy” involving an effective testing, tracking, isolation and support system, praised by scientists for fighting the coronavirus.
New Zealanders will not only go to the polls on Saturday to vote for their next leader, but will decide in referendums on the legalization of cannabis and euthansia.
If the former takes place, the country will become the third nation in the world to legalize marijuana, after Uruguay and Canada.
The results will be announced on October 30.
