New Zealand’s parliament adjourns this week, officially kicking off six weeks of political campaigning ahead of a general election on 14 October. But it seems that Chris Hipkins and his Labour party might find it difficult to maintain their grip on power.
Persistently high food prices at the supermarket, and a string of cabinet mishaps have seen a waning in support for Hipkins’ Labour government. For the first time, he has found himself on a level pegging with Christopher Luxon, the leader of the National party, in the race to become prime minister. Several weeks ago, a poll conducted by pollsters Taxpayers’ Union-Curia, revealed support for the Labour government stood at 27 per cent, while the opposition National and ACT parties commanded 34.9 per cent and 13 per cent respectively – enough support to form a government.
The decline of Hipkin’s Labour government in the polls is coinciding with a deeper antipathy
The poll also showed the minor party New Zealand First, led by the ageing populist maverick Winston Peters, above the 5 per cent threshold and returning to parliament.
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