Labor Leader Wins in New Zealand
After nine years in opposition, Helen Clark’s Labor Party swept to power in Saturday’s general election at the head of a center-left coalition, pledging a more economically fair society for New Zealand.
Celebrating victory at a party in Auckland, Clark, 49, promised “a fair society, good education, good health system, dignity in retirement and an absolute commitment to a growing economy which shares opportunity and work.”
An emotional Prime Minister Jenny Shipley, who won her post in 1997, conceded defeat late Saturday.
With all but a handful of votes counted, Labor was shown winning 52 seats, up from 37 in the 1996 election. The left-wing Alliance, part of Clark’s coalition, had 11 seats, down two from 1996. Shipley’s conservative National Party was down from 44 to 41 seats in the 120-seat Parliament.
Of the remaining seats, six went to the centrist New Zealand First Party, one went to center-right United New Zealand and nine to right-wing ACT New Zealand party.
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