AUCKLAND: Conservative former businessman Christopher Luxon will be New Zealand’s next prime minister after winning a decisive election victory on Saturday.
People voted for change after six years of a liberal government led for most of that time by Jacinda Ardern.
The exact makeup of Luxon’s government is still to be determined as ballots continued to be counted.
Luxon arrived to rapturous applause at an event in Auckland. He was joined on stage by his wife, Amanda, and their children, William and Olivia.
He said he was humbled by the victory and couldn’t wait to get stuck in to his new job. He thanked people from across the country.
Supporters chanted his campaign slogan which promised to get the country “back on track.”
“I’ve gotta tell you, crime is out of control in this country,” Luxon said. “And we are going to restore law and order, and we are going to restore personal responsibility.”
Luxon also got cheers when he promised to fix the capital’s gridlocked traffic with a new tunnel project.