The Guardian has sat down with the leaders of every main political party in New Zealand in the past year – except the prime minister, Jacinda Ardern, who declined to be interviewed.
You can revisit the interviews and find out what turned National leader Judith Collins from a Labour voter to the centre right, why Winston Peters thinks his populist approach is perfectly justified and what motivated Green leader Marama Davidson to speak out about being a victim of sexual abuse.
Judith Collins: ‘Quite a lot gets me into trouble’
National leader Judith Collins is a larger-than-life, veteran politician who rejoices in the moniker “Crusher”, enabling both supporters and detractors painting her as an almost-cartoonish opposite to Ardern.
“I can be someone who people know has a very wicked and naughty sense of humour and it sometimes gets me into trouble,” Collins told the Guardian in August. “Actually, quite a lot it gets me into trouble.”
Winston Peters: ‘People shout “Winnie! You’re a legend!”’
Winston Peters, whose New Zealand First party currently holds the balance of power, is the ultimate survivor in the country’s political comings and goings. Many predict that his party could be squeezed out this time, but he was defiant when we spoke to him recently.
“I know you all think it’s arrogant, but I’ve proven it all my career … we don’t stand around for you people to determine the next election.”
Marama Davidson: ‘The system goes against our values’
Marama Davidson, co-leader of the left-leaning Green party, is best-known for speaking out in parliament about being a sexual abuse victim but is also renowned as a maverick who stayed in a tent while on official business.
“Essentially, we are operating in a system which goes against our values … But if I wasn’t here, if we weren’t here, people would be missing out on the difference that we are making,.”
James Shaw: ‘We’ve got to get started’
James Shaw is Davidson’s co-leader of the Greens and, as a partner in the ruling coalition, is the architect of Ardern’s ambitious climate policies.
“Part of what we’re doing is we’re role modelling for other countries. And actually, countries do look at each other and go, where are we relative to the pack?”
David Seymour: ‘I am a bit quirky and I don’t really care’
David Seymour, leader of the minor, libertarian ACT, stands an outside chance of reaching the 5% vote threshold that would give his party an MP.
“I am a bit quirky and I don’t really care what people think and I’m still quite successful,” he says. “That’s quite powerful for anxious kids.”
Jacinda Ardern profile
Here is Eleanor Ainge Roy’s profile of the election favourite, Jacinda Ardern.
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