NZ Election Projected To Be Decided By The 30,000 Kiwis Living In Melbourne

PETE CLARK | Melbourne | CONTACT

The New Zealand general election will be held tomorrow, and is expected to come down to the wire. 

Research from the University of Auckland has indicated that the kiwis living in Melbourne could decide the election across the Tasman. 

Speaking with The Advocate lead researcher Alexander Todhunter reveals why the Australian city could hold the key to New Zealand's 55th Parliament. 

“There’s more kiwis in Melbourne than in Central Otago”

“And they’ve got quite an exceptional amount of power if they choose to exercise it”

“If they had turned out during the weed referendum it probably would have been a different outcome,” he said. 

"Obviously there half of the Kiwis in Aus are in Queensland, but we know which way they are going to vote. It's the swing voters down in Melbourne that will decide it."

A high proportion of kiwis who make the move over are typically younger and university educated, as such they represent a traditional level wing voting bloc. 

Since the resignation of Jacinda Ardern the New Zealand Labour Party have struggled under current leader Chris Hipkins who led the party to defeat in 2023. 

In a cruel ironic twist Ardern joined the other tens of thousands of kiwis in exodus, moving to Sydney earlier this year. 

“It’s a sad state of affairs really”

“Aotearoa's beehive will be decided by Melbourne”

“Hipkins has proposed slashing student loans by 10% probably because he saw how it worked for your Prime Minister at the last election”

“It’s a bit of a wink and a nod to the student debt holding kiwis living abroad … just letting them know he hasn’t forgotten them,” he said. 

More to come.