National Party

It won 38.08% of the party vote and 48 of 123 seats in 2023 and leads the coalition government with ACT and New Zealand First. It is named in the market on which party wins most seats in the 2026 New Zealand general election.

History

National was founded in 1936 to counter the rising Labour movement. It governed in 1949-1957, 1960-1972, 1975-1984, 1990-1999 and 2008-2017, under leaders including Sidney Holland, Keith Holyoake, Robert Muldoon, Jim Bolger and John Key. Its 2011 result of 47.31% is the highest of the proportional era. After losing in 2017 and 2020 (25.58%, 33 seats) it chose Luxon, who won in 2023 with 48 seats and formed the first three-party coalition government.

Positions

Wikipedia places National in the centre-right and calls it a broad church of conservative and liberal tendencies. Its principles stress personal freedom and limited government. In government since 2023 it has prioritised cost-of-living relief, welfare reform with work requirements and reduced state spending. It repealed Labour's Fair Pay Agreements, Three Waters reform and the Māori Health Authority, and reopened offshore oil and gas exploration. Its coalition partners are ACT and New Zealand First.

Summarised automatically from the linked sources. Wikipedia