PM Christopher Luxon announces election date - November 7
Wednesday, 21 January 2026
MPs for New Zealand’s two largest political parties have met on Wednesday as the election year revs into life - and the prime minister announces the election day - Saturday, November 7.
Christopher Luxon has gathered his National Party in Christchurch for a “caucus retreat” - a meeting away from the halls of power in Wellington.
He announced the election date not long after noon, answering a question that has been bedevilling political pundits for months.
This date was fully in Luxon’s control, with no requirement that he run the decision past his Cabinet or his caucus.
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Meanwhile 1000km away Christopher Hipkins gathered his caucus for their own retreat in West Auckland.
Hipkins gave a brief speech to his caucus in the morning and will hold a press conference following Luxon’s in the afternoon.
These caucus retreats have become a staple of the New Zealand political calendar as a place for MPs in the major parties to get away from it all and plan the year ahead - all with a pack of media not far away.
They are also often places to make big announcements that try to set the year’s political themes in motion.
It was a caucus retreat where Jacinda Ardern declared 2019 the “year of delivery” - and then in 2023, she announced she would be stepping down.
Labour traditionally held its retreat in Martinborough but its caucus was too large in the 2020 term to do so, so it took a tour of marginal seats.
Now despite having a caucus that could fit into most resorts Labour has opted to hold its caucus in the crucial swing voter territory of West Auckland.
National’s caucus arrived in Christchurch on Tuesday night and have had a chance to tour the unopened One New Zealand Stadium at Te Kaha.
Luxon kicked off the political year with a “state of the nation” speech on Monday where he warned that there would be no room for extravagant election promises in this year’s Budget.
Hipkins is expected to hold his first major speech of the year in Auckland on Thursday.
Then politicians from all parties will gather at Rātana Pā on Friday - ahead of Parliament returning the next week.