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New Zealand’s Labour Prime Minister Chris Hipkins is pounding the pavement in his campaign for re-election, but he has not forgotten his countrymen and women who call Australia home.
Eligible Kiwis living across the ditch can now cast their vote in New Zealand’s general election after overseas polls opened on Wednesday, and the embattled Hipkins believes he can count on their support.
New Zealand Prime Minister Chris Hipkins is counting on Australia.Credit: Getty
“For New Zealanders living in Australia, our track record is pretty good,” he told AAP on Wednesday, adding: “I’m very optimistic they’ll recognise that this is a government that’s delivering for them.”
There are roughly 670,000 New Zealanders living in Australia. Tens of thousands of eligible voters could have double the polling fun on October 14 because the New Zealand election coincides with Australia’s historic Voice to parliament referendum.
The road to the election has been an uphill battle for Hipkins’ Labour government, which is fighting for a third term in office. A victory would maintain a rare centre-left alignment across the Tasman, with Australian Labor and New Zealand Labour both in office.
Hipkins this week credited shared values between the parties for securing two victories for Kiwis over citizenship and deportation practices.
The Albanese government softened its stance on the deportation of NZ citizens convicted of crimes earlier this year, before enacting changes to allow Kiwis who have lived in Australia for four years to apply directly for citizenship without first securing permanent residency.
“We worked really closely with the Albanese government to deliver the commitments that they’ve made around a pathway to citizenship and better treatment for New Zealanders over there,” Hipkins told AAP.
The 45-year-old, who previously served as COVID-19 and education minister, replaced Jacinda Ardern after her shock resignation in January.
Polls have predicted voters may flip to a National-led government, driven by battleground issues like inflation, the cost of living, crime and housing.
In the fight of his life: Hipkins speaks at the Labour Maori campaign launch last month.Credit: NZHerald/AP
Opposition Leader Chris Luxon is cutting a confident figure.
However, both major parties will likely need the support of at least one other minor party to form a majority.
How to vote in the NZ election in Australia
While tens of thousands of trans-Tasman citizens in Australia will face the dual NZ election-Voice polling day, they will have a two-week window to cast their Kiwi ballots early, in person or online.
Those eligible to vote in the election from overseas must be at least 18 years old, have lived in New Zealand for more than 12 months continuously at some point in their life.
Overseas voters must also qualify either as a New Zealand citizen who has been in that country within the past six years, or a permanent resident who has been in the country within the last four years. Enrolling from overseas is not compulsory.
In Sydney, voters can cast their ballot at the New Zealand Consulate-General or the NSW Electoral Commission, and in Melbourne at the Victorian Electoral Commission. There are also physical polling stations in Canberra, Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide, Darwin and Hobart.
However, the New Zealand Electoral Commission is encouraging all overseas voters to download their ballots and statutory declaration forms and resubmit them online.
National Party leader Chris Luxon.Credit: Getty
All downloaded ballots will need to be witnessed and signed by an eligible person before being scanned or photographed and uploaded online. Only those living overseas can upload their vote online.
Ballots are due at 7pm New Zealand time on election day, October 14, which will be 4pm in Sydney and Melbourne.
About 63,000 overseas votes were cast among a total 2.9 million ballots at the last election.
with AAP
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