Jacinda Ardern sets September 19 as New Zealand election date

Kiwi PM calls general election in a vote that will test whether her popularity overseas is matched by support at home.

New Zealand's Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has announced that New Zealand's general election will be held on September 19, 2020. Picture: AP

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has called a general election for September, in a vote that will test whether her widespread popularity overseas is matched by support at home.

The centre-left leader on Tuesday announced Kiwis would go to the polls on September 19, two months ahead of the last possible date for the ballot, when she will seek a second three-year term.

“I will be asking New Zealanders to continue to support my leadership and the current direction of the government, which is grounded in stability, a strong economy and progress on the long term challenges facing New Zealand,” Ms Ardern said.

The 39-year-old’s first term won her international fame — she became a mother while in office and received praise for her sensitive handling of the Christchurch mosques killings and the White Island volcano tragedy.

But while she has been feted overseas, opinion polls show her standing at home has slipped.

Opposition leader Simon Bridges has led the centre-right National party into more populist territory, attacking Ardern over a land dispute with Maori groups and attacking Ardern’s gun buy-back scheme introduced after Christchurch.

Ms Ardern has also come under fire for her party’s long-running KiwiBuild scheme, which was designed to make owning a home more affordable by constructing 100,000 homes, but has so far failed to match expectations.

Meanwhile, the New Zealand economy has struggled under low growth, while the cost of living has risen.

Alternate prime minister, Mr Bridges, will be looking to make Ms Ardern’s coalition the first one-term New Zealand government in over 40 years.

Conservative challenger Simon Bridges. Picture: AP

He faces a tough ask given Ms Ardern’s favourability as preferred prime minister, New Zealand’s relatively strong economy and the electorate’s preference for stability – in stark contrast to the last 15 years in Australian politics.

Still, New Zealand’s mixed member proportional (MMP) system allows for surprising results.

In 2017, the then prime minister Bill English was all smiles on election night, declaring victory after National won over 44 per cent of the vote to be clearly the biggest party in parliament.

Ms Ardern, who became leader just seven weeks earlier in an attempt to resuscitate Labour’s failing campaign, became prime minister after winning over minority parties in negotiations to form government.

Without a landslide result, New Zealand’s major parties are likely to rely on minority parties to govern once more.

NZ First, led by Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters, and the Green party both currently back Labour but will run separate campaigns.

Ms Ardern has pledged to run a “positive, factual and robust” campaign, fighting the spread of misinformation or “fake news” online, and submitting their policies for independent costing.

“It’s incumbent on us to deliver the campaign New Zealanders expect and deserve,” she said.

Ms Ardern dismissed the notion that the 235-day election campaign would fatigue Kiwis, saying it was best practice to have a date set long in advance. “It’s fair and it allows our electoral commission to prepare ... we’re all constantly in campaign mode anyway,” she said.

The date – September 19 – places the poll in the same month as the last two elections, while avoiding school holidays and All Blacks matches. New Zealanders will also vote on two hot-button social issues – the legalisation of euthanasia and cannabis – in referendums timed to coincide with the general election.

AAP, AFP