National and Labour are holding their annual caucus retreats today and tomorrow.
The Prime Minister has announced that this year’s general election will be held on Saturday 7 November, making the announcement at National’s retreat in Ōtautahi.
The retreats bring together each party’s MPs outside Parliament and focus on strategy, campaign planning, events and priorities for the year. They also mark the first caucus meetings of the year. While these retreats happen annually, the stakes are higher in an election year.
Recent election dates were:
- October 14, 2023
- October 17, 2020
- September 23, 2017
- September 20, 2014
- November 26, 2011
National is meeting in Ōtautahi, while Labour is holding its retreat in West Auckland. Labour’s choice of location is significant, as Tāmaki Makaurau was where the party lost seats in the last election. National captured what were previously considered safe Labour seats, including Mt Albert, New Lynn and Mt Roskill.
Outside National’s retreat, protesters gathered, calling for the party to be held accountable for what they say is complicity in Israel’s crimes against humanity in Gaza.
“As the election year opens, we are determined to keep this issue before the government and the public,” said PSNA co-chair John Minto. “We will continue to demand that the government sanction Israel for genocide.”
