‘We are ready to go’: Labour talks up potential for snap election

Thursday, 17 April 2025

Peters, speaking from Tonga on Friday, specifically rejected Luxon's assessment of the global 'fight' for free trade. 'No we are not. We are not [in a fight for free trade],' he said.

Labour is amping up the spectre of an early election, with campaign chair Kieran McAnulty saying the party is “ready to go” should the prime minister call one.

“We’re ready to go. For Labour, everything has been brought forward, and we have an early election plan that’s ready to go at the drop of a hat,” McAnulty said. “Our donations are increasing by the week and so are the volunteers.”

McAnulty’s comments follow reports that Winston Peters’ NZ First party has begun planning for the event of a general election being called before the end of the year.

Snap elections are general elections called earlier than expected, and are initiated by the prime minister. They can be called in response to a political impasse, but Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has said his Cabinet is “aligned”, while ACT leader David Seymour said his party had made no steps towards preparing for an early election.

Christopher Luxon, Winston Peters and David Seymour.

General elections occur every three years. The next election, while it hasn’t been scheduled, is expected to take place toward the end of 2026.

It is understood Labour has already begun work on a six-week snap election plan, and reached out to the electoral commission to find out how much lead-in time there would be should an early election be called. It was told electoral officials would need 10 weeks to prepare.

The PM spoke to media after his speech at the Wellington Chamber of Commerce on Thursday morning.

It comes after Peters, who hands over the deputy prime minister title to Seymour in May, appeared to undermine Luxon’s efforts to build a free-trade alliance in response to US President Donald Trump’s tariff policies.

Luxon announced those efforts last week in a speech to the Wellington chamber of commerce, before he began calling world leaders in the Asia-Pacific, and European Union. He said he wasn’t prepared to give up the “fight” for free trade.

Peters, who is also the foreign affairs minister, then criticised Luxon for not consulting him before calling world leaders to discuss trade, and said some of the language being used was “hysterical”.

Luxon said in response he did not need to consult Peters because his speech was about trade, though it was titled as a speech on foreign affairs and trade.

Seymour said the ACT Party has not made any moves to prepare for a snap election. “So far as ACT is concerned we have a strong coalition working together for the country,” he said.

Green Party co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick would not say whether her party was preparing. “Every day, this Government takes decisions to knowingly increase climate changing emissions, child poverty, environmental destruction and homelessness. Maybe Winston Peters is finally waking up to what it means to actually put Aotearoa New Zealand First: to make this a one term government.”