<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=591 border=0><TBODY><TR><TD class=newstitle width=328>Asia Pacific News</TD><TD class=newstitle vAlign=bottom align=right width=263 colSpan=3><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=259 border=0><TBODY><TR><TD align=right width=143>
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Posted: 08 November 2008 1935 hrs
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</TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top height=60> </TD><TD class=update vAlign=top height=60><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD width=138 bgColor=#f6f6f6>Photos </TD><TD width=47 bgColor=#f6f6f6>1 of 1</TD><TD width=18 bgColor=#f6f6f6><INPUT id=btnPrev disabled onclick=Prev(); type=image height=15 width=18 src="http://www.channelnewsasia.com/images/butt_previous.gif" value="<< Previous"></TD><TD width=19 bgColor=#f6f6f6><INPUT id=bntPlay onclick=Play() type=image height=15 width=19 src="http://www.channelnewsasia.com/images/butt_stop.gif" value="Play - Stop"></TD><TD width=18 bgColor=#f6f6f6><INPUT id=btnNext disabled onclick=Next(); type=image height=15 width=18 src="http://www.channelnewsasia.com/images/butt_next.gif" value=" Next >> "></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
John Key</TD></TR><TR><TD> </TD><TD class=update> </TD></TR><TR><TD> </TD><TD><TABLE style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #cccccc" cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=240 border=0><TBODY><TR><TD vAlign=top width="100%"><TABLE cellSpacing=1 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #ffffff"><TD><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD class=topic vAlign=top align=left>Related News </TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top align=left bgColor=#cccccc>
</TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top align=left><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=6 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD><TABLE cellSpacing=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD class=subheader vAlign=top width="4%">•</TD><TD class=bodytext width="96%"><TD class=bodytext width="96%">PM Clark concedes defeat in New Zealand vote</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR><TR><TD><TABLE cellSpacing=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD class=subheader vAlign=top width="4%">•</TD><TD class=bodytext width="96%"><TD class=bodytext width="96%">New Zealand headed for change of government</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top bgColor=#cccccc>
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WELLINGTON - John Key's centre-right National Party swept to power on a theme of change in New Zealand's elections Saturday, ending the nine-year reign of Helen Clark's Labour Party.
Key's promise of "politics of aspiration" struck a chord with New Zealand's three million voters, who gave the wealthy former investment banker a mandate to form a conservative alliance with the small ACT and United Future parties.
"In their hundreds and thousands across the country they have voted for change," Key said in his acceptance speech in Auckland amid scenes of jubilation.
"Today, New Zealanders have voted for action, for a safer, more prosperous and more ambitious New Zealand."
The election success was the realisation of a boyhood dream to become prime minister for Key, who only entered Parliament in 2002 after amassing a fortune estimated at 50 million Australian dollars.
Electoral office figures showed his centre-right National Party won 45.5 per cent of the vote or 59 seats in a 122-seat Parliament. The right-wing ACT Party under Rodney Hide won five seats and United Future's Peter Dunne added one more. Key said both would be part of his government.
Clark was gracious in defeat but said she would step down after 15 years as leader of the centre-left Labour, which has governed with the help of three minor parties since the 2005 election.
"As is obvious to all, tonight has not been our night," Clark said in Auckland as some supporters cheered and others wept.
"I congratulate John Key and the National Party on the result they have achieved."
She said New Zealanders were fortunate to live in a democracy where people had the right to choose their government.
"Their choice tonight has not been us, but I respect the choice that has been made and I accept responsibility for the result," Clark said.
Clark surprised supporters by telling them she would resign as leader of the party she has headed since 1993.
"My job as leader of the Labour Party is complete. I will be standing down and I will be expecting my Labour Party colleagues to elect a new leader before Christmas."
Some of Clark's supporters cried out "no" after her announcement.
The election result was in line with polls before the election which showed New Zealanders were ready for change after nine years under Labour.
Clark has been respected as a competent manager and campaigned on the theme that the untested Key, with only six years in Parliament, was too inexperienced to deal with the fallout of the global financial crisis.
That fallout will be one of the first challenges for Key, who was due to be briefed by government officials on Sunday.
During the campaign, he promised to cut personal taxes, increase help for those who lose their jobs and increase spending on infrastructure projects to help keep the economy ticking over.
Since the complex mixed member proportional (MMP) electoral system was introduced in 1996, no single party has won over 50 per cent of the vote and been able to control the parliament without the help of minor parties.
Under the MMP system, every party winning at least five per cent of the total vote is allocated seats on a proportional basis in the parliament of 122 seats.
Some parties are also represented by winning some of the 63 general electorates and seven seats set aside for the indigenous Maori population.
- AFP/ir
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Posted: 08 November 2008 1935 hrs
<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=260 align=right border=0><TBODY><TR><TD align=right width=20> </TD><TD align=right width=240>
John Key</TD></TR><TR><TD> </TD><TD class=update> </TD></TR><TR><TD> </TD><TD><TABLE style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #cccccc" cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=240 border=0><TBODY><TR><TD vAlign=top width="100%"><TABLE cellSpacing=1 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #ffffff"><TD><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD class=topic vAlign=top align=left>Related News </TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top align=left bgColor=#cccccc>
WELLINGTON - John Key's centre-right National Party swept to power on a theme of change in New Zealand's elections Saturday, ending the nine-year reign of Helen Clark's Labour Party.
Key's promise of "politics of aspiration" struck a chord with New Zealand's three million voters, who gave the wealthy former investment banker a mandate to form a conservative alliance with the small ACT and United Future parties.
"In their hundreds and thousands across the country they have voted for change," Key said in his acceptance speech in Auckland amid scenes of jubilation.
"Today, New Zealanders have voted for action, for a safer, more prosperous and more ambitious New Zealand."
The election success was the realisation of a boyhood dream to become prime minister for Key, who only entered Parliament in 2002 after amassing a fortune estimated at 50 million Australian dollars.
Electoral office figures showed his centre-right National Party won 45.5 per cent of the vote or 59 seats in a 122-seat Parliament. The right-wing ACT Party under Rodney Hide won five seats and United Future's Peter Dunne added one more. Key said both would be part of his government.
Clark was gracious in defeat but said she would step down after 15 years as leader of the centre-left Labour, which has governed with the help of three minor parties since the 2005 election.
"As is obvious to all, tonight has not been our night," Clark said in Auckland as some supporters cheered and others wept.
"I congratulate John Key and the National Party on the result they have achieved."
She said New Zealanders were fortunate to live in a democracy where people had the right to choose their government.
"Their choice tonight has not been us, but I respect the choice that has been made and I accept responsibility for the result," Clark said.
Clark surprised supporters by telling them she would resign as leader of the party she has headed since 1993.
"My job as leader of the Labour Party is complete. I will be standing down and I will be expecting my Labour Party colleagues to elect a new leader before Christmas."
Some of Clark's supporters cried out "no" after her announcement.
The election result was in line with polls before the election which showed New Zealanders were ready for change after nine years under Labour.
Clark has been respected as a competent manager and campaigned on the theme that the untested Key, with only six years in Parliament, was too inexperienced to deal with the fallout of the global financial crisis.
That fallout will be one of the first challenges for Key, who was due to be briefed by government officials on Sunday.
During the campaign, he promised to cut personal taxes, increase help for those who lose their jobs and increase spending on infrastructure projects to help keep the economy ticking over.
Since the complex mixed member proportional (MMP) electoral system was introduced in 1996, no single party has won over 50 per cent of the vote and been able to control the parliament without the help of minor parties.
Under the MMP system, every party winning at least five per cent of the total vote is allocated seats on a proportional basis in the parliament of 122 seats.
Some parties are also represented by winning some of the 63 general electorates and seven seats set aside for the indigenous Maori population.
- AFP/ir
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