New Zealand Prime Minister Hipkins has conceded the closely watched 2023 General Elections and congratulated National Party leader Luxon on a sweeping conservative victory in the Parliament. Heading into these elections, the Labour Party (left-leaning) controlled 62 seats alone, giving it majority in the parliament without a coalition, a rarity in the New Zealand Parliament.
However, the Labour Party lost 28 seats with the Conservative National Party and AZT Party Coalition gaining 17 seats from their 44 giving them a 61 seat holding, one seat short of a 62 member majority. This gives NZ First Party leader Winston Peters a kingmaker status as his newly achieved 8-seat holding could be thrown at the Labour-Green coalition or the National-AZT coalition. Peters’ party is a split-off from the National Party, making it more likely for him to throw his hat in with his old compatriots.
The 2023 General Elections in New Zealand were a referendum on the deeply unpopular Labour Party policies regarding COVID-19 mandates, rising crime, and cost of living in the island state. In 2022, U.S. House Republicans hoped to capitalize on those same issues. However, U.S. conservatives were only able to squeak out a 9-seat win to achieve a slim 222 majority over the 217 needed. That slim majority has resulted in both the U.S. House Speakership votes in 2023 and the historic ousting of Speaker McCarthy.
This conservative victory in New Zealand could provide a roadmap to both Republicans and Democrats for their 2024 House elections.