Minor parties could hold key to New Zealand election

Christopher Luxon, leader of the National party, is leading in polls as New Zealand heads to its first general election since Labour's Jacinda Ardern stepped down [File: David Rowland/Reuters]

The National party’s Christopher Luxon is leading Labour’s Chris Hipkins in the race to become New Zealand’s next prime minister, but any victory could depend on the support of smaller right-wing and populist parties.

Less than a year after Jacinda Ardern, the darling of the international community, passed the leadership to Hipkins, New Zealand’s left-leaning Labour party is facing an election where many of its trademark policies – from green farming to Maori co-governance – could be rolled back if the centre-right Nationals take power on October 14 as the opinion polls suggest.