With a bit more than a year before Parliament goes into election mode for 2026, a new poll is out for the Government. And it is not good news.
Rare it is though for a Government in New Zealand to be so unpopular so early in their time. I have no prior recollection of either a National-led or Labour-led Government being so negatively viewed midway through their first term. After 18 months in office, the three party coalition that some -myself included – like to refer to as the Coalition of Chaos, is already experiencing polling that, even if it is only slightly, favours the centre-left.
Even before former Prime Minister John Key was shown his ninth-floor Beehive office, I recognised as a left leaning voter that he was going to win the election in 2008. He presented himself as a down to Earth with an every man common street appeal, comparatively centrist in nature compared to others in his Government. His ability to “read the mood” in a way that outgoing Prime Minister Helen Clark was losing the ability to do, gave both commentators and voters alike pause for thought.
Former Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, despite what the conspiracy theorists and trolls will tell you, was another immensely popular Prime Minister. Her decision to depart was most likely as much driven by actually being exhausted by her time in office. She oversaw our response to our worst terrorist attack, the first fatal eruption in New Zealand in over 100 years, and the COVID-19 pandemic response. She tried to balance the need to get the economy moving with the need to keep New Zealand safe. New Zealand liked it so much that she was re-elected in a once-in-a-generation single party majority government.
None of the three leaders of this Coalition Government, collectively or individually have any of the nous Ms Ardern and Mr Key showed during their time. None of them have the common person touch on the street, or in dealing with detractors – far from shutting them down, the likes of Shane Jones, David Seymour, Mr Luxon himself, are only serving to fuel the fire in their detractors. None of them seem interested in reaching any kind of middle ground consensus, and say so in a combative, obtusely sneering way.
But easily their worst failure is to gauge just how out of touch their policies and the reasoning – or complete lack thereof – behind them is with the public. Whilst many on the social media platforms seem delighted with “the war on woke” being aggressively fought by these M.P.’s and the parties they represent, the worsening cost of living, continuing violent crime and a basic lack of economic nous is starting to become glaringly obvious.
The Coalition was elected in 2023 on a promise of cracking down on crime, getting the economy moving and reining in spending. They went to work with indecent haste using tried and failed methods that have been maturing for the last 40 years – reckless slash and burn of the public sector to save billions, that winds up cutting out essential services and hindering background research, analytical and planning jobs that are essential for the effective management of our government resources and taxpayer dollars. Minister of Finance Nicola Willis derisively said that on the watch of her Government there would be fewer lanyard wearing people walking down Lambton Quay near Parliament, and significantly more people wearing hi-viz. The same Minister attacked red tape, whilst committing another long term maturing failure: to acknowledge that much of that red tape are things like occupational safety and health laws,
But none of this is necessarily to say Labour leader Chris Hipkins deserves to win. Far from it. In opposition, Mr Hipkins seems to be no more effective than he was in his tenure as Prime Minister. Although Labour supporters tell me he is putting out press releases, is turning up to Question Time – which Mr Luxon is more often than not absent from – it seems to me that Labour are still very much a party of the status quo.
There is absolutely nothing that I see in Labour which screams “vote for me!”, something that is true about all of the Parliamentary parties as at 22 July 2025. Whilst admittedly they still have a year to get some good policies set up, and competitive candidates organised, the vibes coming off Mr Hipkins and the senior leadership seem to suggest that they are merely relying on the Coalition of Chaos to implode.
At this stage I am still committed to voting for The Opportunities Party in 2026. If I am still on Election Day next year, they will be only the second party ever to get my vote on consecutive election cycles. And T.O.P. are not even in Parliament, but they have my support because they are committed to doing something none of the Parliamentary parties are: ending the socio-economic status quo.
Leftist Kiwi Writes 