Sixth Labour Government of New Zealand
| Sixth Labour Government | |
|---|---|
| Ministry of New Zealand | |
| 2017–present | |
| Date formed | 26 October 2017 |
| People and organisations | |
| Head of state | Elizabeth II |
| Represented by | Dame Patsy Reddy |
| Head of government | Jacinda Ardern |
| Deputy head of government | Winston Peters |
| Member parties |
Labour Party NZ First (coalition) Green Party (confidence & supply) |
| Opposition party | National Party |
| Opposition leader | Bill English |
| History | |
| Election(s) | 2017 general election |
| Legislature term(s) | 52nd Parliament |
| Predecessor | Fifth National Government of New Zealand |
The Sixth Labour Government is the current government of New Zealand. It is headed by Labour Party leader and Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern. It took office on 26 October 2017.
After the 2017 general election held on 23 September 2017 the New Zealand First party held the balance of power between the incumbent centre-right National Party and the left bloc of the Labour and Green parties. Following negotiations with the two major parties, New Zealand First leader Winston Peters announced on 19 October 2017 that his party would form a coalition government with Labour. That same day, Green Party leader James Shaw announced that his party would give confidence and supply to the 55 seat Labour-NZ First government. The Greens' support, plus the coalition, resulting in 63 seats to National's 56—enough to ensure that Ardern maintains the confidence of the House.
The 2017 election saw the New Zealand First party hold the balance of power between National and the centre-left bloc of Labour and the Green Party. After several weeks of negotiations with both National and Labour, New Zealand First announced on 19 October 2017 it would seek to form a minority coalition government with Labour. Confidence-and-supply support from the Greens, negotiated separately with Labour, enables the Government to have a majority in the House of Representatives. During the coalition-forming negotiations, Labour agreed to drop its proposed water tax on farmers as part of its agreement with New Zealand First. In return, NZ First agreed to drop its demand for referenda on overturning New Zealand's anti-smacking ban and abolishing the Māori electorates. The Greens consented to a confidence and supply agreement with Labour and New Zealand First in return for several concessions including a referendum on legalising cannabis, treating alcohol and drugs as a health issue, and various policies to combat climate change.
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