PM Ardern says it’s too early to say whether election will be postponed

Wellington: Jacinda Ardern, New Zealand’s Prime Minister, says it’s too early to say whether the country’s September 19 election date will need to be postponed. Ms Ardern deferred the dissolution of Parliament, due to happen yesterday to next Monday instead, due to a fresh outbreak of COVID-19 cases in the country. Dissolving Parliament means Cabinet can still make decisions but the full Parliament cannot be convened.

Auckland, New Zealand’s largest city, is in a strict lockdown for three days in an attempt to trace the source of the latest outbreak, at which point Ms Ardern’s government will make its decision about whether the dissolution of Parliament should be deferred further.

But she won’t be drawn on any delay to the election.

Ms Ardern said Parliament had some flexibility to hold a vote as late as November 21.

An election delayed beyond that would be more complicated.