New Zealand to anoint youngest ever female PM in liberal shift
● Ardern vows to curb immigration and build more affordable homes
Jaci nd aA rd ernw ill be New Zealand’s next prime minister and hopes to take the country on a more liberal path following nine years of rule by the conservatives.
The outcome of a national election nearly a month ago only became clear yesterday after the small New Zealand First party decided to back Ms Ardern’s liberal Labour Party.
Ms Ardern, 37, willbe the nation’ s youngestleader in more than 150 years.
She has been compared to other young, charismatic leaders such as president Emmanuel Macron in France and prime minister Justin Trudeau in Canada.
Ms Ar de rn wantsto curb immigration, ban foreign speculators from buying homes and build thousands of more affordable houses. She also wants to spend more money on health care and education, as well as cleaning up polluted waterways.
New Zealand First leader Winston Peters said his party’s choice was either“a modified stat usquo” with the incumbent conservatives or an option for change.
The liberal Green Party will support the coalition, but will not be apart of the government’s policy- setting Cabinet. The Green Party ratified the deal late yesterday.
Ms Arde rn said nego ti ati ons with the New Zealand First party had been robust, but stressed there was more that united them than divided them.
She said she wanted to lead a government that looked afterthe environment and the country’s most vulnerable people.
“It is an absolute honour and a privilege,” she said.
Ms Ardern thanked outgo - ing prime minister Bill English for his nine years of service as finance minister and leader.
Mr English, who appeared emotional, said he was natu- rally disappointed to be ousted from the role, but felt he had left New Zealand in good shape with plenty of opportunities ahead for the country.
Asked how he rated Ms Ardern, Mr English noted her rapid rise. “That’s a fairly remarkable performance given that just tenor 12 weeks ago she was the deputy leader of a failing opposition,” he said.
New Zealanders have been waiting since the 23 September election to find out who will governafter the voting ended without a clear winner.
The country’ s currency fell about 2 per cent as the result became clear. The New Zealand dollar was fetching 53p late yesterday.
The policies of New Zealand First are nationalistic and eclectic. Mr Peters wants to drastically reduce immigration and stop foreigners from buying farms.
He opposed plans by Mr English’ s National Party to increase the pension age and plans by Labour to tax certain water users.
New Zealand First is expect- ed to extract policy conces - sions and win some ministerial posts by joining the Labour coalition. Ms Ardern said the details would be released in coming days.
Mr Peters said in his announcement that his party’s perception of how capitalism needs to change influenced its decision.
“Far too many New Zealanders have come to view today’s capitalism not as their friend, but as their foe and they are not all wrong,” he said.
“That is why we believe that capitalism must re gain its responsible, its human face.”
Inhi selection campaign, Mr English said his party had grown the economy and produced increasing budget surpluses, which had benefited the nation.
Under New Zealand’s pro - portional voting system, larger parties must typically form alliances with smaller parties to govern. A government needs at least 61 seats to hold a majority in the 120- seat parliament. National won 56 seats, Labour won 46, New Zealand First won nine seats and the Green Party won eight.