Bloomberg reported that New Zealand's National Party heads into forthcoming coalition talks after losing six seats and four senior lawmakers, a result that could give ACT New Zealand and New Zealand First more bargaining power.
In the Electoral Commission's provisional allocation, National holds 42 seats, ACT New Zealand 13 and New Zealand First 12. Their combined 67 seats put the bloc one above the 66-seat majority threshold in the 131-member Parliament. The Commission says the allocation could change after special votes are counted; EconoTimes previously explained the one-seat provisional majority. The two partners gained six seats between them and now hold 25, the preliminary figures show.
Four prominent National figures lost their seats: Speaker Gerry Brownlee, Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith, Attorney-General Chris Bishop and Finance Minister Nicola Willis, Bloomberg reported. Bloomberg said ACT and New Zealand First could have a larger role in shaping policy and ministerial appointments during negotiations.
Richard Shaw, a politics professor at Massey University, said the next government would differ from the incumbent and could have only a narrow majority. Political commentator Ben Thomas, who previously served as a press secretary for National, said the election result could accelerate the party's broader shift away from a free-market, socially liberal model. He described Willis and Bishop as among the party's most socially liberal or centrist members, whose departures could contribute to that change. Thomas cautioned that the shift would not make National an immediately hard-right party.
Shaw said a more conservative government could pursue deeper spending cuts, a smaller public service and renewed efforts to change race relations policy and the treatment of Māori rights.
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon accepted responsibility Sunday for the loss of Cabinet members and said he would miss them. He said current ministers would carry out caretaker duties until the next government is sworn in. Luxon said National would keep the finance portfolio, despite ACT leader David Seymour's stated interest in the job.
The Electoral Commission expects to release the final result, including overseas ballots, by Nov. 27, according to EconoTimes' earlier coverage of the election timetable.
