Political race begins as PM calls election

WELLINGTON: The march towards the general election on September 19 has begun.

Minutes after Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced the date yesterday, National Party leader Simon Bridges replied with a blunt challenge: ‘‘Bring it on.’’

‘‘While there’s a lot of announcements [from the Government], leadership means actually getting things done,’’ Mr Bridges said, giving a glimpse into what the next 234 days may look like.

‘‘A Government I lead will deliver on its promises.’’

Ms Ardern, too, gave an indication of things to come, promising the Government would make several significant announcements over the next two weeks.

The biggest of those will be revealing the details of its $12 billion infrastructure plan today, when both the Green Party and New Zealand First join her for the big moment.

‘‘Ultimately, I am going to be campaigning on my record and this Government’s record,’’ Ms Ardern said.

‘‘We’ve made good progress but we have more to do.’’

Putting on her Labour leader’s hat, she also reiterated a pledge from last week to run a ‘‘positive, factual and robust’’ campaign.

Confirming the date at her first postCabinet press conference of the year, Ms Ardern said she had continued the precedent of calling the timing of the election early out of fairness.

Former prime minister John Key began the tradition with a February announcement in 2011.

‘‘This is best practice. It’s fair and it allows our Electoral Commission to prepare,’’ Ms Ardern said.

‘‘For politicians, I expect the threeyear term means were all constantly in campaign mode anyway.’’

Asked how she had chosen the date, she hinted the All Blacks fixtures for the year may have played some part.

‘‘I am not going to give one single factor as the overriding rationale.

‘‘The things that were really important were essentially people’s ability to vote; school holidays, whether or not there are public holidays and, of course, whether or not there might be anything else taking their mind off on to other things, like important sporting fixtures.’’

NZ First is understood to have favoured a November election date while Labour and the Greens favoured an earlier one that would make it easier to mobilise students.

The Greens welcomed the announcement, saying it gave ‘‘New Zealanders plenty of time to think about the future they want for their kids and grandkids’’.

Act New Zealand leader David Seymour also weighed in, saying he would campaign against firearms legislation and any changes to hate speech laws.

NZ First leader Winston Peters, in a brief statement, said: ‘‘Elections happen every three years.’’

Setting the election date has always been the prerogative of the prime minister and the consent of a coalition partner is not needed.

The date means Parliament will sit for the last time on August 6 and will officially be dissolved on August 12.

Advanced voting will be open from September 7.

The election will also run in parallel to two major referendums, one on legalising cannabis use and the other on voluntary assisted dying.

The preliminary result of those referendums will not be known until

October 2, the Electoral Commission confirmed yesterday.

Election day will also coincide with Suffrage Day, which marks women getting the vote in 1893. — The New Zealand Herald

Ben McKay, of Australian Associated Press, looks at five key issues that will decide the New Zealand election, to take place on September 19.