Chris Hipkins (Kris Hipkins) took over the position of leader of the Labor Party and Prime Minister from the 43-year-old Ms. Ardern, who resigned in January.
Still, the new prime minister, who has good political acumen, is struggling to maintain support in the face of a severe cost-of-living crisis and several government scandals.
His prospects are also clouded by the sentiment that after two Labor terms, New Zealand may be ready for change. According to pre-election polls, his party with just 30 percent. votes behind the conservative National Party.
“New Zealand has had three difficult years,” Ch admitted at the beginning of the campaign, when the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic were still being felt and inflation reached 6 percent. Hipkins.
“We are not entering this campaign as favourites. We are going to turn things around and win,” he said.
However, Ch. Hipkins is struggling to match the popularity of Ms Ardern, who delivered a landslide victory for the party in 2020.
The outgoing head of state won praise for her decision to quickly close New Zealand’s borders during the pandemic, which has resulted in one of the world’s lowest death rates from the virus.
She also gained international recognition for her ability to deal with the consequences of two disasters that hit the country in 2019. That year, a white supremacist killed 51 Muslim worshipers in a Christchurch mosque attack and a volcanic eruption killed 22.
“Got to finish work”
Ms Ardern, who has started an internship at Harvard in the United States, this week urged New Zealanders to vote for what they believe in.
She said the Labor government needed a third term to continue its work on tackling child poverty and inequality.
“Labour had two terms in government. Long enough to make progress, but not long enough to finish the job, and our country needs them to finish the job,” said the former prime minister.
Opposition leader Christopher Luxon is determined to seize power.
His National Party could win enough seats to form a coalition government with the ACT Party, although recent polls suggest they may also need the support of populist New Zealand First.
“The result is in the hands of the people of New Zealand.” That’s why I keep repeating that if they want change, they have to go to the ballot box and vote for the National Party to make it happen,” Ch said during the campaign on Thursday. Luxon.
He criticizes Ch. Hipkins’ leadership and scoffed at the question of how a prime minister can run a country if he can’t control his cabinet.
Ch. Hipkins admitted it had been a chaotic few months in government, with four ministers resigning or being sacked.
But both are trying to woo voters with promises of lower bills.
Ch. Hipkins proposed a 10-point plan that included free prescription drugs and basic dental care for people under 30, as well as scrapping the tax on fresh fruit and vegetables.
Ch. Luxon is promising a tax cut of up to NZ$125 (about €70) a week for a middle-income family, which would be partly covered by a controversial plan to tax high-end luxury homes bought by foreigners.
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