The National Party, positioned at the center-right, entered a coalition agreement with the classically liberal ACT party and the populist New Zealand First parties shortly after the country's general elections, which took place about six weeks ago.
This coalition released a manifesto outlining plans to lower personal income taxes, train an additional 500 police officers within a two-year period, and revise the central bank's mandate to focus solely on maintaining low inflation.
Christopher Luxon is set to replace the departing Labour Prime Minister, Chris Hipkins, who held office for a brief nine months, following Jacinda Ardern's unexpected decision to step down at the beginning of the year.
Ardern, who secured a resounding victory in the 2020 election, experienced a decline in popularity due to mounting dissatisfaction with COVID-19 restrictions and increasing living expenses.
Christopher Luxon, addressing the public on Friday, stated, “Our government aims to strengthen the economy, reduce living costs, and provide tax relief to improve the prosperity of all New Zealanders.”
He added, “Our government will prioritize law enforcement and personal accountability to ensure the safety of Kiwis within their communities.”
Luxon will assume the role of Prime Minister starting November 27, 2023, alongside New Zealand First leader Winston Peters as the foreign minister.
Peters and the ACT leader, David Seymour, will share the position of deputy prime minister, with the New Zealand First leader handing over responsibilities halfway through the parliamentary term.
This agreement follows weeks of intense negotiations following the October 14 elections, where New Zealanders signaled a desire for a change after six years of governance by the center-left Labour Party.
Luxon's National Party secured 48 out of 123 seats in parliament, while Labour obtained 34 seats, with ACT and New Zealand First securing 11 and eight seats, respectively.
(Inputs from ANI)
