NZ ruling party registers strong start as election counting begins

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern's Labour Party held a commanding lead in New Zealand's general election on Saturday, very early tallies showed.

Labour had 50% of the votes, to 26% for the opposition National Party led by conservative leader Judith Collins, with 1.5% of ballots tallied, according to the Electoral Commission. Of Labour's current coalition partners, the nationalist New Zealand First Party had 2.2% and the Green Party 8.8%.