By Alasdair Pal
WELLINGTON, Nov 10 (Reuters) – New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said on Tuesday he had met with the leader of the Opportunity Party, after initial results in last weekend’s general election showed he may be reliant on the centrist party to govern.
Preliminary data from the New Zealand Electoral Commission showed Luxon’s incumbent three-party coalition could govern with a majority of just two seats.
But that margin may disappear once overseas and other special votes — which make up a seventh of the total and typically skew left — are included during the final count on November 27.
That would mean Luxon would need the support of Opportunity, which looks set to enter parliament for the first time, to pass legislation.
Luxon and Opportunity leader Qiulae Wong met on Monday evening, the prime minister said.
“(It was) a great opportunity to get to know her and start to build a relationship together,” Luxon told reporters on Tuesday.
Luxon previously ruled out entering a coalition with Opportunity but has softened his stance after the initial election count.
Opportunity’s flagship policies centre on tax, with a universal basic income for almost all residents funded by a land tax.
These policies were not included in Opportunity’s “bottom lines” outlined by Wong on Tuesday for supporting any governing coalition.
Instead, the party plans to press for more powers for the country’s competition commission, tighter lobbying regulations including caps on political donations, as well as policies on health, climate and fishing.
“We will push for more, but these bottom lines represent the minimum standard we expect to see,” Wong told reporters on Tuesday.
Wong has previously said she would look to negotiate with whichever party secures the largest number of seats in parliament, and that a number of arrangements, including a formal coalition or more informal support, were options.
The kiwi dollar was steady at $0.5630, after rallying 1.5% overnight, in part buoyed by prospects that Luxon’s National Party may be able to govern with the support of minor parties.
Analysts say Luxon, who survived two attempts by his own lawmakers to unseat him in the months before the election, has the support of his party in the short term, but may have to concede key government ministries to right-wing coalition partners ACT and New Zealand First.
(Reporting by Alasdair Pal in Wellington; Editing by Matthew Lewis and Lincoln Feast.)
