What is the story and why is it so important?

The New Zealand general election is only days away and anticipation is building in the south Pacific nation where, for the first time in a decade, the outcome of the vote is genuinely up for grabs.

Voters have the choice of keeping Bill English’s National party, which has held government for nine years, or opting for change under the new, energetic but untested Labour leader Jacinda Ardern.

Ardern is riding a wave of popularity that has been dubbed “Jacindamania”. She is polling particularly well with women and young voters, leading some to predict a looming “youthquake” if millennials turn out to vote.



Many political analysts have already called the 23 September election the most exciting they have ever observed and it has been a welcome relief for politics junkies to see the National party facing genuine competition after three terms of wins.

New Zealand was a British colony but does it follow the British voting system?

No, not anymore. New Zealand has used the MMP voting system (Mixed Member Proportional) since 1996, meaning voters are asked to vote twice – once for their preferred party and the second time for an electorate MP.

There is a single chamber of parliament which generally has 120 MPs elected for a maximum three-year term, and whichever party (or parties, coalition governments are common in New Zealand) wins the most seats earns the right to form the next government. Prior to MMP the former system was dominated by two-parties, Labour and National. Since its introduction, both parties have been forced into sometimes strained relationships with coalition partners. Winston Peter’s NZ First party often plays the role of kingmaker in New Zealand elections.

It is not compulsory to vote in New Zealand but it is compulsory to be enrolled to vote if you qualify, and you can be fined up to NZ$100 for not doing so.

What time does it happen on voting day?

Election nights can be long and anxious. Voting closes at 7pm and preliminary results begin to roll in in real-time immediately afterwards. The Electoral Commission’s target is to have 50% of polling station results available by 10pm on election night and 100% of results available by 11.30pm. If the results clearly show that one party has the ability to form government, the new leader can call the election before the stroke of midnight - but official results aren’t available until two weeks later.

Why is this New Zealand election getting so much attention?

As one of the most peaceful nations on earth, New Zealand elections have had a reputation as being a bit boring. But not this year.



Six weeks ago the leader of the opposition Labour party resigned after tanking in the polls. His deputy – 37-year-old Ardern – unexpectedly took over and set the political scene alight.



Leader of the Labour Party Jacinda Ardern speaks to university students during a visit to Victoria University in Wellington. Photograph: Marty Melville/AFP/Getty Images

Within days, Labour experienced a massive surge in popularity and competition for the prime ministership finally looks to be serious. Ardern made international headlines when she faced questions about her baby plans hours into her new role – which she robustly shut-down, labelling the questions “unacceptable”.

New Zealanders are more invested in this election than nearly any other that has come before. The televised election debates have drawn record-breaking audiences and a record-number of New Zealanders have also taken advantage of early voting, with nearly 500,000 having cast their votes already.

So will New Zealand stick with the staus quo, or copy France and Canada in electing their own “rock-star” politician?

Who is the incumbent Bill English?

Bill English became prime minister late last year when the eternally popular National party leader John Key unexpectedly resigned.

New Zealand prime minister Bill English speaks to the media during a National Party campaign stop in Wellington. Photograph: Marty Melville/AFP/Getty Images

English had led the National party to its worst ever defeat in 2002, but the former deputy prime minister and three-term finance minister says he has “grown” since then, and has “much more energy” now that the youngest of his six children are teenagers.

The socially conservative former farmer also has 11 siblings. He is married to Mary, a GP. Born in the tiny Southland town of Dipton in 1961, English studied commerce and English literature at university before turning to agriculture. He then moved north to Wellington to embark on his political career.

English was first elected to parliament in 1990 and during his time in office has voted against same-sex marriage, abortion and the euthanasia bill.

Despite being involved in politics for 26 years he is still something of an “enigma”, said Professor Raymond Miller, a political scientist from Auckland University.

“The greatest strength English will provide to this government is continuity and his ability to keep the markets stable, and his great weakness is his defeat in 2002 and his seeming inability to excite the public,” said Miller.

What is Ardern’s background and experience?

Born in the Waikato to a policeman father and a mother who worked in the school canteen, Ardern joined the Labour party at 17 and was elected to parliament in 2008.

The 37-year-old has a degree in communications from the University of Waikato and has worked for two high-profile and very different prime ministers - the UK’s Tony Blair and New Zealand’s Helen Clark. Ardern has also served as President of the International Union of Socialist Youth.

Ardern is well-liked by the general public for her warmth and informality. A sometime DJ and former Mormon, she lives in Auckland with her partner, television presenter Clarke Gayford, and a cat.

In the past Ardern has said she was wary of being prime minister because of the pressure it would put on home and family life - a pressure she has since said all New Zealand women find a challenge to juggle.

What policies are the two major parties campaigning on?

Labour has pledged to make New Zealand rivers swimmable for the next generation, eradicate child poverty, build 100,000 high quality, affordable homes over 10 years and phase in three years of free tertiary education, as well as boosting student allowances by $50 a week.

Meanwhile National is campaigning on its track record of economic stability, promising a crackdown on gangs, drugs and beneficiaries, boost funding to make New Zealand predator free by 2050 and continue to invest in the country’s roads and transport links, especially in Auckland.



