Also at stake in the election is the government’s relationship with Indigenous Māori. Luxon has promised to axe the Māori Health Authority, which he says creates two separate health systems. Hipkins says he’s proud of such co-governance efforts and has accused Luxon of condoning racism.
Within days of taking the reins in January, Hipkins found himself dealing with a crisis after deadly floods and then a cyclone hit New Zealand. He quickly jettisoned some of Ardern’s more contentious policies and promised a “back to basics” approach focused on tackling the spiralling cost of living.
During a six-week election campaign, both Hipkins and Luxon travelled the country and hammed it up for the cameras.
On the final day of campaigning on Friday, Hipkins grinned as he joined a Zumba dance class at an Auckland market. The prime minister looked to be about a half-beat behind in his dance moves.
“I’m sure you’ll choose the best shots when I’m at my most coordinated,” Hipkins joked with reporters after the event.
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If there was a little extra spring in his dance step, it was because the polling numbers for Hipkins and his Labour Party began trending upward in the last days before the election from a low ebb.
Luxon, meanwhile, hugged supporters in Auckland on his final campaign stop as they chanted his slogan to get New Zealand “back on track.”
Earlier in the week, Luxon, who served as chief executive of both Unilever Canada and Air New Zealand, told an energised crowd in Wellington that he would crack down on gangs.
“I’ve gotta tell you, crime is out of control in this country,” Luxon said. “And we are going to restore law and order, and we are going to restore personal responsibility.”
Luxon also got cheers when he promised to fix the capital’s gridlocked traffic with a new tunnel project.
Luxon is relatively new to politics but held his own against the more experienced Hipkins during televised debates, according to political observers. But Luxon also made some gaffes, such as when he was asked in a 1News debate how much he spent each week on food.
His answer of “about sixty bucks” was ridiculed on social media as showing him being out of touch with the cost of living.
AP