Will's Word: Don't settle for less this election

The gloves are officially off. The starting gun has been fired. The election date is locked in.

On 7 November, New Zealanders will decide who they want to lead them through the next three years.

And both major parties have wasted no time trying to shape that choice.

I watched Prime Minister Christopher Luxon announcing the election date yesterday, and he struck the tone you would expect from a sitting leader. Stay the course. We have made progress. Now is not the time to risk it all.

Meanwhile, Opposition Leader Chris Hipkins has come out swinging, saying he is ready to take the fight directly to Luxon. There is a clear sense Labour wants to harness a mood for change, and based on their social media posts, it looks like they are running a Zohran Mamdani-style campaign.

Right now, both sides look match fit. And genuinely, it feels like anyone’s game.

Listen to Will's Word below.

By November, the economic recovery should be well underway. There is also that old political truth that voters tend to have short memories. Pushing the election date out could well work in Luxon’s favour, giving the government more time to point to improving numbers and progress.

Then again, there is another saying in politics. A week is a long time. And stretching the runway also gives the opposition more time to land their argument, sharpen their attacks, and convince voters that staying the course is not the safest option at all.

I suppose this election will come down to a simple choice. Do we stick with the status quo, or do we try something else?

That is why I love democracy.