New Zealand’s incumbent conservative prime minister has handsomely won a bruising election campaign, shaking off allegations of dirty tricks and a spying row to devastate his Labour opponents.
John Key, 53, was first elected prime minister in 2007 and yesterday won his third three-year term.
His National party took 48.1 per cent of the vote, based on election night results, and the Labour party less than 25 per cent. The New Zealand Greens failed to improve on their 2011 election result and maintained 10 per cent of the vote.
The result has shocked New Zealand Labour. It is the party’s second worst result since its founding in 1916.
The figures are likely to deliver Mr Key‘s National party up to 64 seats in the 120-seat