Editorial: Call for change sees Ardern crowned PM

Jacinda Ardern has been anointed by NZ First leader Winston Peters as Prime Minister in a Labour-led Government. Photo / Doug Sherring

Editorial

Finally, we have our next Government. Jacinda Ardern has been anointed by NZ First leader Winston Peters as Prime Minister in a Labour-led Government.

After almost a months deliberation, including yesterdays drawn-out will-he, wont-he nailbiter, Peters announced last night that he would join forces with Labour in a two-party coalition, with the Greens in support.

Labours remarkable comeback to take the Beehive has created a piece of MMP history: for the first time, the party with a lesser share of the vote will lead the Government.

Even combined with the Greens vote, the bloc is still two seats shy of National. Under MMP that shouldnt matter, but it could make life more difficult for Ardern to push through changes if she has to continually defend her partys mandate to rule.

It is also a bitter pill to swallow for National and Bill English, who must take the hard road back to opposition after what seemed to be a triumphant election night.

There has been plenty of debate whether the final election results amounted to a vote for change or a vote to keep National in power.

The campaign and the final result, which put Peters in the kingmakers chair, showed that voters did want change - regardless of which party eventually led the Government.

Issues that had been bubbling and fermenting during John Keys reign as Prime Minister burst through the surface of this years campaign: New Zealands high suicide rate and stretched mental health services, people living in motels or on the streets, gridlocked traffic in our biggest city, the number of children in poverty, the state of healthcare provided by DHBs, the sky-high prices of Auckland property, the free export of our pristine water by bottling firms, the not-so-pristine water in our rivers and streams ... the list goes on.

When Ardern took on the Labour leadership after Andrew Little stepped down, voters were presented with a fresh start: a leader who could take on the issues that had become so pressing.

Despite all the talk of personality politics, it was the groundswell of discontent among many voters which drove Arderns remarkable surge in the polls.

On election night, however, it appeared English and National had done enough to reassure voters they had the will to take on the hard issues and - fairly or unfairly - to sow doubt about Labours tax strategy and its ability to balance the books.

Enter Winston Peters. Holding the balance of power, Peters also recognised voters urge for change, regardless of which party led the Government.

Early on in negotiations, he said the talks were about a change in the way this country is run, both economically and socially.

Peters maintains he has kept the coalition discussions focused on policy. That promise may have been undermined by leaks from National yesterday alleging last-minute horse trading over ministerial posts but the new Government must be given a chance to prove itself.

Peters has decided to put MMP to its biggest test yet and put Labour into power, despite Nationals larger share of the vote. The challenge now rests with Ardern and Peters to deliver on the promise of change.