‘I had to believe’: Opportunity manager on historic election result
The Opportunity Party has secured a historic entry into the New Zealand Parliament, marking the first time a new party has done so in the MMP era without being an offshoot. General manager Iain Lees-Galloway emphasized the party's goal to bridge political divides.
Why it matters
This represents a significant shift in the New Zealand political landscape and potential coalition dynamics.
Opportunity Party general manager and former Labour minister Iain Lees-Galloway says they had to make it into Parliament this term for the party's ongoing survival. If the vote holds up, Opportunity will be the first new party to enter Parliament in the MMP era that wasn't an offshoot of an existing party. "I had to believe. You don't get into this if you don't believe. I kind of felt like we had to do it this term, this election, for the party to be able to carry on. So that was my commitment. That was what I was interested in achieving." He credited the party's rise to their "tremendous" leader Qiulae Wong and a "wonderful line-up" of candidates and volunteers.
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