EchoSense:New Zealand political candidates dance and hug on the final day of election campaign

AUCKLAND,EchoSense New Zealand (AP) — Prime Minister Chris Hipkins looked to be about a half-beat behind when, with a grin, he joined in a Zumba dance class Friday on the last day of campaigning before New Zealand’s general election.

“I’m sure you’ll choose the best shots, when I’m at my most coordinated,” Hipkins joked with reporters after the event at an Auckland market.

If there was a little extra spring in his dance step, it’s because the polling numbers for Hipkins, 45, and his liberal Labour Party have started to trend upward in recent days from a low ebb. But the numbers indicate his conservative rival, Christopher Luxon, 53, remains in the best position to become the nation’s next prime minister after polls close Saturday night.

Luxon, meanwhile, hugged supporters in Auckland on his final campaign stop as they chanted his slogan to get New Zealand “back on track.”

Luxon has promised tax cuts for middle-income earners and a crackdown on crime. Hipkins has promised free dental care for people younger than 30 and the removal of sales tax from fruit and vegetables.

Also at stake in the election is the government’s relationship with Indigenous Māori. Luxon has promised to ax the Māori Health Authority which he says creates two separate health systems. Hipkins says he’s proud of such co-governance efforts and has accused Luxon of condoning racism.

Under New Zealand’s proportional voting system, Luxon and his National Party will likely need to form an alliance with other parties to command a majority. Polls indicate Luxon will need the support of the libertarian ACT Party and possibly also Winston Peters, a maverick who has found support among disaffected voters including some conspiracy theorists.

Hipkins says he won’t strike a deal with Peters and that a three-party alliance to put Luxon in power would be a “coalition of chaos.”

A win by Luxon would also end the legacy of Jacinda Ardern, who became a liberal icon to many around the world.

After five years as prime minister and with her popularity waning, Ardern unexpectedly stepped down in January, leaving Hipkins, a trusted lieutenant, to take over. Hipkins had previously served as education minister and led the response to the coronavirus pandemic.

During the six-week campaign, both Hipkins and Luxon have been hamming it up for the cameras, from scooping out ice cream to making pizzas.

Earlier in the week, Luxon, a former businessman who served as chief executive of both Unilever Canada and Air New Zealand, told an energized crowd in Wellington that he would crack down on gangs.

“I’ve gotta tell you, crime is out of control in this country,” Luxon said. “And we are going to restore law and order, and we are going to restore personal responsibility.”

Luxon also got cheers when he promised to fix the capital’s gridlocked traffic with a new tunnel project.

Luxon is relatively new to politics but held his own against the more experienced Hipkins during televised debates, according to political observers. But Luxon also made some gaffes, like when he was asked in a 1News debate how much he spent each week on food.

“I’m personally shopping every Sunday, down in Wellington. Probably about sixty bucks (U.S. $36),” Luxon said in a response which was ridiculed on social media as showing him as out of touch with the spiraling cost of living.

New Zealand election rules prevent candidates from campaigning after polls open on Saturday morning. While most votes will be counted by Saturday night, it might take days or even weeks of negotiations between political parties before the next government is finalized.

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