‘Shocking silence’ over climate crisis in New Zealand election campaign draws criticism

Meaningful debate over climate emergency lacking ahead of October vote amid fresh warnings of more extreme weather events

In the lead up to New Zealand's 2017 election, Jacinda Ardern, the then soon-to-be prime minister, called the climate emergency her generation's nuclear-free moment" - a reference to the bold stance the country took against nuclear power.

Her comments signalled renewed urgency in shaping New Zealand's response to combatting one of the globe's greatest existential threats. But six years on, with the country's general election just days away, the climate emergency has been sidelined against discussions of crime, co-governance" and the cost of living.