NZ results point to change of government

Counting in New Zealand's general election is pointing to a change of government, with the opposition National Party well ahead of the ruling Labour Party. With more than 60 per cent of the vote counted National had secured about 47 per cent of the vote, compared to 33 per cent for Labour.

Under New Zealand's complex electoral system political alliances with minor parties
are typically vital in helping form government.
With the ACT and United Future pledging to support National, the trio would
collectively have more than 51 per cent of the vote, enough to govern.
New Zealand has been ruled by the Labour government led by Prime Minister Helen
Clark since November 1999.
But Clark has been attacked by National, under the leadership of John Key, for
allowing the country to slip into recession and unemployment to climb.
Key has pledged to stop the "brain drain" of educated Kiwis to Australia, and change
New Zealand's emissions trading scheme.
He has also said he would introduce army-style boot camps to deal with young criminals.
Clark has tried to use Senator Barack Obama's success in the United States to buoy
her supporters in recent days, saying voters had rejected right-wing regulation.
But pre-election opinion polls had pointed to a change of government in New Zealand.
The early results are also pointing to the demise of the NZ First party, led by New
Zealand Foreign Minister Winston Peters.
Peters' party has attracted only 4.3 per cent of the vote, beneath the five per cent
threshold to get representation in parliament, unless they get an MP directly
elected.
Commentators have cautioned that early results tend to come from rural electorates,
which typically favour conservative parties.
But National is well ahead of its position at the same stage of counting at the last
general election in 2005.
Although polls had suggested the Green Party could have secured up to 11 per cent of
the vote, early results show the group has only attracted about six per cent of
support.