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Key credits handling of economy for 3rd poll win
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THE New Zealand government’s handling of a fragile economy was the “overwhelming” reason for its third election victory, Prime Minister John Key said yesterday after his party won a historic majority and he eyed a fourth triumph.
Voters “saw the economic direction we wanted to continue to take the country in and the things we have achieved over the last six years,” he said.
Asked if the economy was behind his resounding win in Saturday’s election, Key replied: “Yes. Overwhelming.”
And he vowed more of the same. “I don’t intend to take the party veering off to the right. We’ve held the center ground for the last six years. We’re not looking to do radical things.”
Accusations of dirty politics and mass spying dominated the hustings but had little impact on the result as Key’s National Party increased its support.
It was the first time in the seven elections since New Zealand adopted a complicated proportional representation system that a party has won enough seats to govern alone.
But Key said he’d not forget his coalition partners of the past two elections — ACT, United Future and the Maori Party.
As the opposition left-wing parties licked their wounds following the rout, Key promised an administration “that governs for all New Zealanders” and even contemplated contesting a rare fourth term in office at the next election in 2017.
“Well, I’d like to,” the center-right leader said. “You’ve got to believe we’ve got a great chance of doing that but I’m not silly enough (not) to know that to get that fourth term we’ve to deliver over the next three years.”
Four straight wins have only been achieved twice — by the National Party led by Keith Holyoake in the 1960s and the Liberals under Richard Seddon who won five polls from 1893.
Key’s Nationals won 61 of 121 parliamentary seats, up from 59 at the 2011 election, while the main opposition Labour Party managed only 32, down two.
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