It has been about three hours since the polls were closed and almost 100% of the votes were counted
National leader Judith Collins says she called Ardern to congratulate her on her victory Credit: Getty Images
Wairarapa finalist Mike Butterick congratulated Labor’s Kieran McAnulty on his victory It’s only politics after all
With 94 percent of all votes counted, Labor’s 49 percent share… which equates to 64 of 120 seats â ???? hasn’t changed in the last hour
To Australians accustomed to one of the two main parties claiming over 50% and a majority victory in most elections (but not so much in the last decade), this may seem a bit disappointing
But due to the nature of New Zealand’s Mixed Member Proportional (MMP) system, 49% is a huge result
Coalition governments have been tied in New Zealand since the switch to MPM in 1996
Ardern became Prime Minister in 2017, after winning only 3689% of the vote and 46 seats, due to his alliance with the Greens and NZ First
For National, the news is not so good At this point, he won 269% of the vote and only 35 seats: a loss of 21 MPs compared to the 2017 result
The Greens will be happy to have won two seats compared to 2017, rising to 10 with 75% of the vote
The other big winner appears to be the center-right party ACT, which went from a parliamentary seat to 10 by passing the 5% threshold for « party list » seats and winning 8% of the vote
As mentioned earlier, the Maori party may be on track to return to parliament after a three-year absence with a seat
NZ First, who only won 26% of the vote, looks like he lost his nine seats because of that same 5% threshold that goes against him
This means that Ardern’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs, Winston Peters, is not in Parliament
Jacinda Ardern said the results so far showed Labor had « a very clear mandate to lead a government »
Ardern was asked if she was sad to see Winston Peters and NZ First go through hard times
Regardless of one’s position on the political spectrum, Peters’ contribution to politics over the decades must be recognized
Jacinda Ardern said the results have already shown that the Labor Party has a « very clear mandate to lead a government » Credit: Getty Images
The PM said Judith Collins called for recognition of Labor’s efforts during the campaign, and the National Party leader appeared sincere
Ardern said she would be reunited with her family on Sunday, but would also have talks with her colleagues
Australian Labor leader Anthony Albanese took to social media to congratulate Jacinda Ardern on her victory
Earlier today, Albanese posted a tweet wishing the New Zealand Prime Minister good luck, but deleted it after the New Zealand Election Commission told him the post violated social media rules
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In New Zealand, strict rules prevent the publication of anything that could be considered to influence votes on polling day between midnight and 7 p.m. Saturday
Jacinda Ardern has just spoken to TV NZ, moments after winning in front of Labor supporters gathered at Auckland City Hall
Based on current figures, Ardern will not need the Greens to form the government – ???? she can claim a majority of seats in parliament for the first time since New Zealand switched to mixed member proportional (MMP) in 1996
Ardern said she would talk to the center-left party about the possibility of joining her party in government after taking the night to digest her huge victory
The re-elected Prime Minister has however indicated that she is reluctant to cede the post of Deputy Prime Minister to the Greens
Meanwhile, the New Zealand Election Commission now predicts that the Maori party could win a seat in Parliament
The party last held a seat in the beehive from 2014 to 2017, when it lost both of its seats
One of the biggest questions for Labor is who will be Jacinda Ardern’s Deputy Prime Minister now that former Deputy Prime Minister and New Zealand First Leader Winston Peters did not got enough votes for a seat
Jacinda Ardern told NewsHub that she hopes Winston Peters feels proud of what they’ve accomplished over the past three years, because she certainly did
Asked about the phone call National Leader Judith Collins made before her concession speech, Ardern said he was sincere
« It is more than ever time to continue, to continue working, to seize the opportunities which present themselves to us
« This has not been an ordinary election, and it is no ordinary time It has been full of uncertainty and anxiety and we have decided to be an antidote for it, » said Ardern
« Tonight’s outcome has been solid and it is clear that the Labor Party will lead the government for the next three years, » she said
Ardern said there were many challenges ahead over the next three years, including recovery from COVID-19; create more jobs; improve the skills of the community; fight against poverty and inequalities; and fight against climate change
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World News – AU – New Zealand elections live updates: Jacinda Ardern set to claim famous victory