National, ACT and NZ First at odds over vote-splitting campaign
New Zealand's governing coalition partners, ACT and NZ First, have endorsed a vote-splitting campaign that encourages voters to support smaller parties over the National Party. National leader Christopher Luxon has criticized the move, warning that it creates confusion and undermines the goal of keeping the opposition out of power.
Why it matters
The internal friction within the coalition highlights the complexities of electoral strategy and party dynamics in a multi-party parliamentary system.
National leader Christopher Luxon has expressed his disappointment that his coalition partners signed off on an advertisement encouraging vote-splitting.
One of those partners - ACT leader David Seymour - thinks Luxon should look at the wider goal of keeping Labour out of power.
The other - New Zealand First leader Winston Peters - thinks Luxon has made a terrible mistake and says voting for National is "wasting your vote".
ACT and New Zealand First have given their blessing to a newspaper advertisement - placed by Reality Check Radio, but written by former National and ACT leader Don Brash - which encourages right-leaning voters not to give National their party vote, if they want to "keep the left out of government".
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