Populism in New Zealand

[1][2][3] Robert Muldoon, the 31st Prime Minister of New Zealand from 1975 to 1984, had been cited as a populist leader who appealed to the common man and utilised a personality-driven campaign in the 1975 election.

[7] The New Zealand National Party made limited attempts at articulating populism in its advertising, but suffered from the legacy of being part of the 1990s establishment.

[7] The ACT New Zealand party, under leaders Richard Prebble and Rodney Hide, made attempts at populist appeal with socially conservative policies on crime and affirmative action, often to the consternation of its classical liberal wing.

This speech has been labelled populist due to the polling beforehand which had revealed to the National Party that the topic of race relations was sensitive enough to sway voters, and its perceived intent to exploit long-held grievances in society.

[17] The party's strong opposition to immigration, and policies that reflect that position, as well as its support for multiple popular referendums, all typify its broadly populist approach.