New Zealand’s two major parties are flatlining as dispirited voters seek transformational change

Voters sent National and Labour a clear message last night – and the parties have no one to blame but themselves

• New Zealand faces weeks of uncertainty with election ‘too close to call’

New Zealand voters sent the two major parties a clear message last night. They expect more.

In a resounding rejection of the incrementalist political managerialism that has characterised the governments led by the major parties over the past decades, seven in 10 voters passed over Labour, and the same number skipped National. Between them, the two parties took just over half the party vote, 58% on election night. It was the lowest combined major party vote ever.