New Zealand Votes: What’s at Stake for Foreign and Defense Policy

CSS Director David Capie joined Kathryn Paik, Anna Fifield and Dr Anna Powles for a CSIS conversation on potential foreign policy implications of the election.

28 October 2026

On 7 November, New Zealand will hold a tightly contested national election. Prime Minister Luxon came into office in 2023 promising to align New Zealand more forcefully with its traditional partners and address domestic and economic challenges. Yet even as New Zealand has expanded its engagement abroad, domestic economic challenges have continued, prompting an active opposition movement.

To discuss the various political actors at play in this year's election cycle, as well as the potential national and foreign policy implications of the election, please join Australia Chair Deputy Director and Senior Fellow Kathryn Paik, Australia Chair Non-Resident Adjunct Fellow and independent New Zealand journalist Anna Fifield, Director of the Centre for Strategic Studies and Professor of International Relations at Victoria University of Wellington Dr. David Capie, and Associate Professor in Security Studies at the Centre for Defence and Security Studies at Massey University Dr. Anna Powles, for a conversation.

Watch the full conversation below.