They managed to be half-competent at maintaining their not-quite-left-wing-but-it'll-do promises in the otherwise neoliberal hellworld that is western capitalist government, and their opposition party imploded on themselves multiple times after numerous scandals and changing out party leadership several times. That allowed them to secure some serious gains, plus the handling of the Christchurch massacre and COVID earned them international sympathy plus pseudosexual pathological girlboss vibes also helped. They're still about as "left" as their British and Australian counterparts, which is to say, not really.
Could sadly be said for nearly all left-wing parties in any parliament on earth. That being said, i'd rather have them than the current gov we have here in the Netherlands.
Seeing COVID responses in the Anglo world compared to NZ, I completely get why they are popular.
No, they aren't good. They are just a centre left party. It looks like they have a majority now, so they will not have to compromise with the greens or any other party to rule.
Jacinda already ruled out a wealth tax and a CGT. So nothing will fundamentally change.
The Maori party getting a seat is good. And Chloe Swarbuck (Green) winning her seat is good as well
Yeah not having a capitalist gains tax is pretty fucking disasterous even by neolib party standards
"progressive" but neoliberal party like Australia's Labor Party. they were in a coalition with a nationalist populist party and a greens party for their past term. now that they can form a government on their own I wonder what will change - I really hoped that the green party might hold some balance of power here but oh well
a basic left wing critique: https://www.greenleft.org.au/content/new-zealand-jacinda-arderns-third-way-politics
Probably ever so slightly better than Australian Labor, but not quite up to UK Labour under Corbyn standards.
