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The prime minister, Christopher Luxon<\/a>, has announced New Zealand\u2019s next general election will be held on 7 November, kickstarting a campaign cycle that could become one of the country\u2019s most contested in years.<\/p>\n On Wednesday, Luxon told reporters the National party would continue its agenda to \u201cfix the basics and build the future\u201d.<\/p>\n \u201cIn the lead up to the election, Kiwis will have to weigh up who is best placed to provide stable and strong government in a very volatile and uncertain world \u2013 a strong economy with responsible spending, lower taxes and more opportunity for you and your family,\u201d Luxon said.<\/p>\n The economy and cost of living will be high on the agenda for the two major parties this year, with the issues consistently cited as two of the top concerns facing New Zealanders, according to the Ipsos New Zealand issues monitor<\/a>.<\/p>\n New Zealand operates under a \u201cmixed member proportional\u201d, or MMP, voting system<\/a> and holds general elections every three years \u2013 usually falling in October. There are 120 seats in New Zealand parliament and the two major parties \u2013 centre-right National and centre-left Labour \u2013 typically need to negotiate with minor parties to form a majority.<\/p>\n Luxon formed a coalition government alongside the minor libertarian Act and populist New Zealand<\/a> First parties at the 2023 election. While open to working with those two parties again, Luxon said he would be making the case for a \u201cvery strong party vote for National\u201d.<\/p>\n Since taking office, the coalition has ushered in sweeping policy changes to public services, infrastructure and environmental regulations, pitching its agenda as an effort to reboot the sluggish economy, drive overseas investment and boost industry.<\/p>\n Many of its policies have been met with controversy. The coalition\u2019s far-reaching reforms to policies affecting M?ori<\/a> ignited the largest ever protest over M?ori rights<\/a>, its weakening of climate change goals alarmed scientists and environmentalists<\/a>, while its opening up of land to mining prompted 30,000 public submissions on the bill, one of the highest numbers ever submitted about a piece of legislation.<\/p>\n Luxon will face a wobbly road to secure a second term. Polling for the coalition over the past year has been lukewarm, with the left bloc \u2013 made up of Labour, the Green party and Te P?ti M?ori (the M?ori party) \u2013 frequently polling close to, or higher, than the sitting government.<\/p>\n Luxon\u2019s favourability as leader, meanwhile, has been consistently low, with the Labour leader, Chris Hipkins, regularly sitting ahead in the preferred prime minister stakes.<\/p>\n