New Zealand’s Parliament was formally dissolved on Thursday, officially kicking off campaigning for the November 7 general election, which is shaping up as a closely contested race between the ruling centre-right coalition and a Labour-led bloc.
Parliament held its final sitting on September 23, with political parties using the closing days to focus on issues including the cost of living, economic management and public services ahead of the election.
A 1News-Verian poll released this week showed the Greens recording their highest-ever support at 16%, while both Labour and National stood at 28%. Based on the poll’s seat projection, a potential coalition involving Labour, the Greens, Te Pāti Māori and the Opportunity Party would have 65 seats, compared with 59 for National, ACT and New Zealand First.
However, the poll is only a snapshot of voter support and is not a prediction of the election result. The survey questioned 1,004 eligible voters between September 23 and 27, with a reported maximum sampling error of approximately 3.4 percentage points at the 95% confidence level.
New Zealand uses the Mixed Member Proportional electoral system, under which coalition governments have become common. Parliament normally has 120 seats, although additional seats can be created when a party wins more electorate seats than its share of the nationwide party vote would otherwise provide.
Smaller parties can therefore play a significant role in determining which major bloc is able to form a government. The Opportunity Party, which recorded 6% support in the latest poll, has said it is open to working with both National and Labour, making its potential role in coalition negotiations a focus of the campaign.
Overseas voting will begin on October 21, followed by advance voting from October 26.
The election will take place on November 7.
