Incoming New Zealand PM unveils unusual coalition govt

WELLINGTON: New Zealand´s incoming conservative prime minister unveiled an unusual coalition government on Friday, with a pair of long-time political adversaries set to take turns as deputy prime minister over the next three years.

Nearly six weeks after voters ended the six-year reign of the centre-left Labour government, new prime minister Christopher Luxon and his National Party have stitched together a three-way coalition with the conservative ACT party and populist New Zealand First.

The role of deputy prime minister will change hands halfway through the government´s three-year term, with New Zealand First´s Winston Peters holding the position first before passing the baton to ACT leader David Seymour. It could prove to be a volatile mix, with Peters, 78, and Seymour, 40, having shown a willingness to trade barbs in the past.

Earlier this year, Seymour described Peters as “the least trustworthy person in New Zealand politics”. The pair had another famous spat on social media in 2020, culminating in Peters telling Seymour: “I reckon you´d last 10 seconds in the ring with me”.