Kiwis vote in tight race as cost-of-living crisis bites

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WELLINGTON: New Zealand began counting votes on Saturday in one of the closest elections in its history. No party is expected to win a majority after a ...

WELLINGTON: New Zealand began counting votes on Saturday in one of the closest elections in its history. No party is expected to win a majority after a campaign dominated by worries over the economy and the rising cost of living.

New Zealanders are struggling to make ends meet. Prices of basic goods remain stubbornly high and unemployment is at its highest in more than a decade. The war in the Middle East and the global fuel shock that followed have been widely blamed for the hit to the country’s trade-dependent economy.

Prime Minister Christopher Luxon hopes his right-wing coalition can cling to power with a promise of no new taxes. His three years in office have been fractious, with two failed attempts by his own National Party to oust him as leader and an economy in the doldrums.

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