Ardern re-elected in landslide - 21st October 2020
New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has secured a second term following the Labour Party's historic landslide victory in the island nation's general election on Saturday.
With all ballots now counted and results announced, Ardern's party has seen history made. Returning to power with 64 of the parliament’s 120 seats, it's the first party to have earned the ability to govern alone since voting reforms in 1996.
Ardern: “Tonight, New Zealand has shown the Labour Party its greatest support in at least 50 years.”
In office since 2017, Ardern's first term saw her grapple with an array of unprecedented crises: New Zealand's worst terror attack, a deadly volcanic eruption, and a recession unlike any for 30 years.
Her deft handling of these emergencies has seen Ardern attract widespread praise, not just from New Zealanders but also progressives around the world.
Celebrating re-election with her supporters, Ardern focused her country’s attention on the future, addressing New Zealanders in the nation's two official spoken languages, English and Maori.
Ardern: “Now more than ever is the time to keep going, to keep working, to grab hold of the opportunities that lay in front of us. So let’s step forward together. Ka Hoake tonu tatou (Let’s keep moving in Te Reo Maori). Let's keep moving.”