World News – AU – Jacinda Ardern to rule New Zealand for second term after historic victory

Jacinda Ardern will rule New Zealand for a second term after Labor wins a landslide general election victory, attracting so many votes, it could become the first party in decades to be able to rule on its own

Ardern’s skillful handling of the Covid-19 outbreak and his firm belief in science and experts earned the trust of New Zealanders, who voted early in record numbers, giving his party more than vote than in any other election in the past five decades

With nearly 100% of the vote counted Labor had won 49%, with the National Opposition Party at 27% Labor was expected to win 64 of 120 seats in parliament and nationally, 35 This is the best result for the Labor Party in 50 years, hailed as « extraordinary » by former Labor Prime Minister Helen Clark, and « breathtaking » by supporters

Opposition Leader Judith Collins praised Ardern for the ‘exceptional result’ on Saturday night, but declined to answer reporters’ questions on whether she would remain in charge

Speaking to 1,000 people at Auckland City Hall, Ardern thanked the nation for its strong tenure. She said the elections « should not be divisive » and pledged to rule with cooperation and positivity, adding that New Zealand could lead by example by showing that elections should not mean people ‘tear each other apart’

She said: « We live in an increasingly polarized world, a place where more and more people have lost the ability to see the point of view of others. I hope that in this election the New Zealand has shown that this is not who we are As a nation we can listen and debate After all, we are too small to lose sight of others’ point of view Elections are not always great for bringing people together people But they don’t need to tear each other either

“In times of crisis, I believe New Zealand has shown that This has not been an ordinary election and it is no ordinary time It has been full of uncertainty and anxiety – and we wanted to be an antidote to that « 

The words were interpreted as a veiled allusion to the divisive US election, due to take place in two weeks

Ardern had tears in her eyes as she stepped onto the podium and seemed moved by the show of support for her party and its leaders Earlier this week, she said she would quit politics if she didn’t was not re-elected

The first 30 seconds of Ardern’s speech were in fluent Maori – the language of the indigenous peoples of New Zealand

In applause, Ardern said: ‘I can’t imagine a people for whom I would feel more privileged to work on behalf of, to work alongside and to be Prime Minister for Tonight’s result gives Labor a very strong and very clear mandate « 

If it wishes, the Labor Party will not have to rely on a minor party to form a government

This would make the Ardern 2020 government the first since 1996 to rule on its own, giving it a seismic advantage in adopting progressive policy on issues such as climate change, affordable housing and child poverty. p>

During her first term as leader, Ardern struggled to implement the transformational change she promised voters It is understood she was blocked by her necessary coalition deal with NZ First – a minor right-wing and socially conservative party

Ardern has yet to decide whether to invite the Green Party into government; but even without them, the new government will be much more progressive and leftist than its previous version

The vote had become a referendum on Ardern’s leadership since 2017, when she went from a relatively unknown backbench opposition MP to prime minister in less than three months

Results suggest New Zealanders rewarded her for her skillful handling of the pandemic, which has so far spared the country the worst of Covid-19, despite now being in recession

Ardern’s decision to close borders and enforce a nationwide lockdown has meant less than 2,000 people have been infected with the coronavirus and 25 people have died

A record number of voters – nearly 2 million – voted in advance, nearly half of the 35 million New Zealanders on the electoral roll

Collins – the third leader this year of a national party in the throes of infighting and disunity _ has often preferred to criticize Ardern’s handling of the pandemic or economic recovery plans, rather than promoting his own policies

Ardern, who rose to world fame as a progressive leader, emphasized kindness and cooperation during her first term and told voters she needed a second term to hold its promises of transformational change

During her first term, she banned future oil and gas exploration, increased paid parental leave, raised minimum wages, and increased benefits for the poorest New Zealanders

But it has failed to keep some of its key commitments It has abandoned the KiwiBuild affordable housing program (less than 500 houses have been built of the 100,000 originally pledged), abandoned a tax proposal on capital gains and makes minimal progress on child poverty

She defended her progressive track record on Friday, telling an interviewer that change wouldn’t happen overnight

« I haven’t finished yet I take a certain flattery in the idea that I would solve a decades-long problem in three years, but I can’t, « she told Radio New Zealand of her child poverty toll

A second term comes with a series of challenges, with the country facing a recession, rising poverty and earnings, and increasingly common climate-related weather events

Ardern’s popularity was at the forefront of the Labor campaign, with a social media ad saying a party vote would see New Zealand ‘keep Jacinda’ as one of the top 10 reasons to vote for them Analysts said it was a risky strategy for the party in the long run

Jennifer Lees-Marshment, professor of politics at the University of Auckland, said: “She is not trying to convince anyone, so while it seems safe for Labor, it is actually a very good strategy. dangerous »

Susan St John, researcher for Child Poverty Action Group, said the Ardern government had failed to contain excess wealth, to the detriment of the poorest

“There have been slight improvements to low incomes, but no drastic changes,” said St John “Government promises to prioritize child poverty have led to very modest reduction targets that seem less achievable in the current context amid the Covid-19 recession « 

Electoral fatigue was pronounced throughout the long weeks of campaigning, but it was Labor’s promise to guarantee « stability » – usually a National Party slogan – that proved decisive after so long a year. trying

Ardern has pledged to halve child poverty by 2030, tackle the climate crisis and build more public housing She also pledged to resuscitate the economy after a strict seven-week lockdown

While Collins, a seasoned politician, was a known quantity, she was also divisive – loved and hated equally. Her optimistic energy seemed to wane over the final week of the campaign as her loss appeared to be more and more certain, and she will probably have to fight for national leadership

Collins slammed Ardern for using ’embossed’ language and failing to deliver on promises of transformational change She said the PM offered ‘love and hugs’ when the country really needed an experienced politician and a businessman to get them out of the financial crisis

Political analysts have described the 2020 general election as “bizarre”, “weird” and “bizarre”; and said it lacks the usual drama and scandal – as well as a lot of consistency

Ardern’s popularity at home and abroad has turned her into the nation’s first ‘PM celebrity’ and, coupled with her Covid-19 success, many analysts have deemed her impossible to beat, claiming that his appeal as a leader went beyond politics

Besides electing a new government, the ballots called on New Zealanders to decide to legalize marijuana and euthanasia The results of the referendum questions will not be released until October 30 A poll suggested that euthanasia seemed likely to become legal, but support for cannabis legalization has cooled

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