Who is Qiulae Wong? New Zealand's potential kingmaker after cliffhanger election

Qiulae Wong has been in politics for less than a year, but the 38-year-old could emerge as a key power broker in New Zealand's parliament after the initial counting in Saturday's general election ended without a clear winner. Prime Minister Christopher Luxon's centre-right coalition could secure a majority of just two seats, according to preliminary results released by the Electoral Commission. However, that narrow lead could disappear once special votes, which typically favour the left, are included in the official count due on November 27. If that happens, either the centre-right or centre-left bloc could need the support of Wong's centrist Opportunity Party, which is on course to enter parliament for the first time. Luxon's National Party and the Labour Party, led by Chris Hipkins, are expected to explore coalition options in the coming days and weeks. Wong, a former sustainable-business consultant, took charge of the decade-old Opportunity Party in November 2025 after responding to an advertisement seeking a new leader. She quickly oversaw a rebranding exercise and a dramatic rise in the party's popularity. With its vote share currently at 5.96%, Opportunity is projected to win seven seats in the 131-member parliament, Electoral Commission data showed. Addressing supporters in Auckland on Saturday night, Wong described the result as the culmination of years of political groundwork. "It might seem like we've just arrived, that this is an overnight success, but to many in this room, this result has been a long time coming," Wong told cheering supporters in Auckland on Saturday night. Opportunity Party's sweeping tax proposals The Opportunity Party's flagship agenda revolves around a major overhaul of New Zealand's tax system. Its key proposal is an annual universal basic income of NZ$19,400 ($10,800) for most New Zealand residents, funded through a 1.75% annual land tax. The party also wants to simplify the country's income tax structure, shifting a greater share of the tax burden from earnings to wealth and property. “There's also been a shift globally around seeing the need to tax work less and tax wealth more or tax assets more. And so that's what this tax reset package is designed to do: take some of the burden off income tax and place that onto property,” Wong told Reuters in an interview in August. If implemented, the universal basic income proposal would be a first for a developed economy. While land taxes are used in dozens of countries, they generally exempt primary residences, unlike the Opportunity Party's proposal. However, the party could face resistance from both major political blocs. National and Labour have ruled out adopting its tax proposals, while Luxon has repeatedly said during the election campaign that he would not enter into a coalition with Opportunity. Wong keeps coalition options open Despite the political differences, Wong has indicated that she is open to negotiations with whichever party wins the largest number of seats in parliament. She has maintained that the Opportunity Party could find common ground with either National or Labour. Outlining the possible arrangements, Wong told public broadcaster TVNZ on Saturday: "There are different forms of us working with other parties, whether that's coalition, confidence and supply, being on the crossbenches, and all of those options are on the table for us right now," she told public broadcaster TVNZ on Saturday. She added that the final decision would depend on the election outcome. "We have to we have to look at how the votes land."