Effect of Covid spread; Parliament to reconvene tomorrow
Venkat Raman
Auckland, August 17, 2020
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has postponed the General Election to Saturday, October 17, 2020 to allow for campaigning by political parties disrupted by the Covid-19 lockdown Alert 3 restrictions in the greater Auckland region.
Stakeholders consulted
Announcing this at a media conference held about an hour ago at the Beehive Theatre in Wellington, she said that she spoke to important stakeholders including the leaders of other political parties, the Electoral Commission, BusinessNZ and Trade Unions and others before deciding to postpone the date of the Election.
In New Zealand, it is the prerogative of the Prime Minister to decide on the date of the General Election without any consultation but Ms Ardern said that her decision is not seen as partisan but as a fair move, taking into account all factors, including the possibility that some candidates may have taken leave from their current jobs for campaigning.
She said that everyone she contacted said that General Election 2020 should be delayed; that included her coalition partners New Zealand First and the Green Party.
Electoral Commission assurance
“The Electoral Commission had been planning since April for a range of scenarios including the Election being held with the country being at Alert Level 2 and parts of the country being at Level 3.
The Commission has advised me that it would be able to organise polling and provide revised information to voters and book venues for voting,” Ms Ardern said.
Following community transmission cited in Auckland, the country’s largest City was moved to Alert Level 3 from 12 pm on Wednesday, August 12, 2020. This Alert Level will be lifted at midnight on Wednesday, August 26, 2020.
In view of this move, all political parties have suspended campaigning in Auckland.
No further change
Ms Ardern said that there is no further postponement of the Election Day.
“I am absolutely no intention of changing this (new date of Election),” she said.
Parliament, which was actually prorogued on August 6 will now reconvene and will be dissolved on September 6, 2020. Ms Ardern said that Labour MPs based in Auckland would be able to participate in the proceedings online in view of movement restrictions.
“However, it would up to the Leaders of other parties to decide what they wish to do. I want to provide Parliament and the public certainty, a sense of fairness, and a sense of comfort to voters that this will be a safe election,” she said.
Election 2020 Key Dates
August 17, 2020: Business Committee of Parliament meets this afternoon to prepare a Timetable
August 18, 2020: Parliament reconvenes
September 6, 2020: Dissolution of Parliament
September 13, 2020: Writ Day (Nominations close on September 18, 2020)
October 3, 2020: Advance Voting begins (Last day for return of the Writ is November 12, 2020)
October 17, 2020: Election day
