What makes this election truly unusual is not only who the reformers are, but the nature of the Opposition. The Australian Labor Party is the most successful Labour party in the world. New Zealand Labour is clearly trying to emulate that approach. A Labour Party with little policy is running against one of the most reforming governments ever. Voters can only support Labour if they believe the party can control both.

Source: New Zealand Herald January 14, 2026 09:32 UTC