New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern’s Labour government has found itself in unfamiliar territory with their lowest polling figures in years.
For the first time since the Covid-19 pandemic began, the Labour party is no longer the most popular party in New Zealand.
In the latest TVNZ-Kantar poll, the party dropped three points to 37 per cent, with the National Party, led by Chris Luxon, jumped seven points to 39 per cent.
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In what may be some consolation to Ms Ardern, she still remains the preferred leader of the country.
Polling results show her as the preferred Prime Minister at 34 points compared to Mr Luxon, who sits 25 per cent.
New Zealanders are currently facing their first mass outbreak of the coronavirus since the beginning of the pandemic, with a seven-day rolling average of 17,236 daily cases, peaking this past Tuesday (March 8) with 23,936 cases.
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Subsequently, increased vaccine and booster mandates have been implemented for select industries, which led to a 23-day anti-vaxx protest on the lawns of parliament in downtown Wellington.
Additionally, New Zealand’s inflation rate hit a three-decade high at 5.9 per cent at the end of 2021, with Kiwi publication NewsHub claiming residents are having to spend an extra $4,000 to $5,000 on essentials every year.
Speaking to broadcast network TNVZ, Prime Minister Ardern said: “No question, this is one of the hardest moments New Zealand has been through in many years.
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“We are in the peak of the pandemic, we have a global energy shock which everyone is feeling in New Zealand as a result of the war and we have Covid-related inflation.
“Families are feeling it.”
Chris Luxon took over the National Party’s leadership late last year and in recent days has criticised the government and their handling of the current crisis.
He said: “New Zealanders have a sense the government doesn’t really have a plan and it certainly doesn’t have any solutions.
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“Hopefully they’re getting a sense from National we are strong economic managers and we do have ideas on how to take them forward.”
The last federal election in 2020 saw Ms Ardern win a majority government, which is New Zealand’s first majority government in 30 years.
Topics: News