Christopher Luxon wins New Zealand elections, to be next PM
Christopher Luxon, the leader of the center-right National Party, will be New Zealand's 42nd Prime Minister as incumbent Chris Hipkins conceded that his Labour Party had lost the general election, The Associated Press reported. With almost 80% of votes counted on Saturday night, Luxon's party reportedly received nearly 40% of the primary party vote, compared to a little over 25% for Hipkins' Labour Party.
Why does this story matter?
Hipkins was sworn in as New Zealand's 41st Prime Minister in January after Jacinda Ardern stepped down, claiming she no longer has "enough in the tank" to lead the country. Ardern was elected PM in 2017. She was lauded for her leadership throughout the COVID-19 epidemic, the Christchurch mosque massacres, and the White Island volcano eruptions. However, various surveys showed her popularity had declined.
Luxon's Party secured 40% votes
According to the Australian Financial Review, of the 80% of votes counted till Saturday, Luxon's National Party received 40% of votes, while the Labour Party got 26%. This reportedly marks a reversal from 2020's election, where the Labour Party won 50% of the votes. "I did know when I took on this job it was going to be an uphill battle," he said.
Result reportedly highlights major shift in New Zealand's political landscape
The election results in New Zealand reportedly highlighted a major shift in the country's political landscape. It ended six years of a left-leaning government led by Labour leaders Ardern and Hipkins. Despite Ardern's worldwide popularity for becoming the world's youngest female head of government in 2017 at the age of 37, she had to step down following criticism over her unfulfilled political commitments—primarily poverty.
More about Luxon, his election campaign
Luxon (53) served as chief executive officer (CEO) of both Air New Zealand and Unilever Canada. His election campaign was mainly focused on the cost-of-living issue facing the country, promising to cut taxes and improve infrastructure. Luxon had also vowed to keep relations with Australia "rock solid" if the party takes government. He is expected to form an alliance with the libertarian ACT Party.
