Summarised by Centrist
Despite Labour raising less money, they spent more on advertising at the last election. So maybe money can’t buy happiness.
One surprising feature of the 2023 general election is the fact Labour has emerged as the biggest advertising spender by far. The losing party spent nearly $5m on its failed campaign. Meanwhile, National spent far less at about $3.6m.
“The fact that the Labour Party was able to spend so much but lose so disastrously in 2023 provides a lesson in how money in politics is often more complicated than many people assume,” says Edwards. Edwards also observes that money can be used for strategies other than advertising to try to win votes.
As far as cost per vote, the prize for the lowest cost amongst the governing coalition goes to National, at $3.34 per vote. As far as the Opposition is concerned, Te Pāti Māori won their seats at a mere $3.49 per vote.
