The rightward shift came as voters punished the party once led by Jacinda Ardern for failing to deliver the transformational change that it had promised.
The cyclone, which caused severe flooding and cut power to 225,000 residents, was “the most significant weather event New Zealand has seen this century,” Prime Minister Chris Hipkins said.
At least two people were killed in the flooding in Auckland that forced hundreds of people from their homes and shut down the city’s airport, which was submerged.
Mr. Hipkins, who will be sworn in this week, has nine months to persuade voters who cooled on Jacinda Ardern’s government that he’s a fresh alternative.