A year before American voters’ anger over the cost of living helped Donald J. Trump win the presidency, similar sentiments in New Zealand led to the election of the nation’s most conservative government in decades.
New Zealand now contrasts sharply with the leadership of Jacinda Ardern, who was known for her compassionate, progressive politics and became a global symbol of anti-Trump liberalism.
The new government, a coalition of the main center-right party and two smaller populist parties, has reversed many of Ardern’s policies. It has rescinded a world-leading ban on smoking for future generations, repealed climate change regulations, and appointed a former arms-industry lobbyist to oversee the overhaul of the nation’s strict gun laws.
In a country celebrated for elevating the status of Māori, its Indigenous people, the new government has challenged their rights and the prominence of their culture and language in public life, leading to societal divisions and protests. Tens of thousands of demonstrators, including individuals in traditional Māori attire performing hakas, gathered at Parliament.
Debbie Ngarewa-Packer, co-leader of the Te Pāti Māori party, stated, “This is nothing more than us having to defend that we exist,” prior to the protests in Wellington, the capital.
This rightward shift reflects Ardern’s complex legacy. While her coronavirus policies were initially praised, they later became divisive, contributing to a significant cost of living crisis. When she stepped down in January 2023, inflation was around 7 percent.
Voters ultimately judged Ardern’s tenure as lacking the transformational change she had promised, despite her leadership during multiple crises. Richard Shaw, a politics professor, remarked, “She feels very long ago and very far away,” indicating a perception of a radically different country.
Under the leadership of Christopher Luxon from the National Party, the conservative government has managed to reduce inflation to 2.2 percent through decreased government spending, although the economy has also slowed. Dennis Wesselbaum, an economics professor, noted that it remains uncertain whether the government can stimulate economic growth, but it has a clearer plan than Ardern’s administration.
The government is promoting a bill that would allow certain infrastructure projects to bypass standard environmental assessments. It has pledged to repeal some of Ardern’s measures, such as a tax on farm animals’ methane emissions and a ban on offshore oil and gas exploration, arguing these policies negatively impacted businesses.
These changes have led to accusations from conservation groups that the government is prioritizing economic gains over environmental protection, described as a “war on nature.”
During Ardern’s eight years in power, some citizens expressed discontent with government efforts to address the disadvantages faced by Māori, who comprise about 20 percent of New Zealand’s population. Some voters perceived measures aimed at supporting Māori as unfair “special advantages.”
Smaller parties, New Zealand First and Act, campaigned on these issues, advocating for “same rights” for all and promising to repeal “race-based” policies. Winston Peters, leader of New Zealand First, criticized the government during Ardern’s tenure, claiming that democracy was being eroded by an ideological agenda serving an elite group.
Although these views represent a minority, the coalition government formed by the National Party, which received about 38 percent of the vote, required support from both smaller parties to govern, resulting in a further shift to the right.
This shift has led to the abolition of the Māori health body, challenges to their representation in local governments, and discouragement of the use of the Māori language in government departments. “It’s been our version of the culture wars,” said Lara Greaves, an associate professor of politics and a Māori individual.
Luxon has attempted to distance himself from some coalition partners’ policies while still advancing them. Recently, the government introduced a controversial bill seeking to reinterpret the Treaty of Waitangi, New Zealand’s founding document, which has historically been viewed as establishing a partnership between Māori and the government.
The new bill aims to replace this partnership concept with “equal rights for all.” Although supported by Act, it faces opposition from other parties. However, as part of the coalition agreement, the Nationals and New Zealand First backed the bill’s introduction to Parliament, despite their stated opposition.
Last week, the bill progressed in Parliament, with Luxon describing it as “divisive” and reiterating that his party would ultimately vote against it. Protests continued for over a week, culminating in a large gathering in Wellington.
Academics, Māori leaders, and activists have warned that the bill’s interpretation of the treaty undermines decades of progress and could exacerbate racial divisions. Richard Shaw remarked on the unprecedented level of anger and hostility generated by government decisions, indicating a potential for increasing divisiveness.