Leaders of the main political parties have taken their campaigning 18,000 kms to London as they seek every last vote.
Non-partisan group Every Kiwi Vote Counts organised the event, the first of its kind, and around 100 people turned out to hear the politicians' pitches via a video call.
The campaign aims to increase the number of overseas New Zealanders enrolled to vote in this year's election. It claims older Kiwis outvote overseas Kiwis by 10 to one and that 200,000 younger Kiwis have left New Zealand in the last three years.
Anton Donald is one of the New Zealand voters living abroad, working as a civil engineer in London.
He said there was no question about him voting from overseas: "100%. No, I was very, very keen to vote.
"Moving over probably three years ago, you've heard stories on how the country's gone and ultimately I'd love to move back home. So having a democratic right to vote is massive and hopefully we'll have a sort of MMP in place, or a system in place, that's gradually improving by the time me and my mates do go back home."
Donald said the talk from National and Labour this election seems like the same topics and rhetoric that were being heard ahead of the 2023 election.
"It's the same as three years ago, not much innovative ideas and, yeah, the way the way our economy is going, cost of living stuff like that. It's a bit sad to be honest."
Referring to the rise of Opportunity in the polls, he added: "But the kingmaker one, it's quite interesting hearing new thought, new ideas, new policy that hopefully will make meaningful change," he said.
Leaders' vision
Joining the event were National leader Christopher Luxon, Labour leader Chris Hipkins, Green co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick, Act leader David Seymour, NZ First leader Winston Peters and Opportunity leader Qiulae Wong.
Te Pāti Māori co-leader Debbie Ngarewa-Packer was no longer able to attend due to her mother's illness.
The leaders spoke about their vision for creating a New Zealand that lures Kiwis to move home and answered questions about what they have to offer expats when it comes to student loans, education and tax policy among other areas.
National's Luxon told the crowd: "Thanks for what you're doing being unofficial ambassadors for New Zealand."
One of the questions from the crowd for him was: "Will there be any Treaty of Waitangi left when I come home?"
The National leader responded, "absolutely", and said the way to be a responsible crown partner is by improving health and education outcomes for Māori.
"It's all very well having bumper stickers and all that, but you've actually got to deliver," he said.
'Knock-on effect'
Every Kiwi Vote Counts this week launched a campaign called "Don't let old Zealand dictate the New Zealand election". It comes with a tongue in cheek advertisement showing a grandmother having a heartfelt call with her granddaughter who's about to move overseas - before celebrating with other older people that another Kiwi is leaving the country.
Founder Tracey Lee said: "We're having a playful fun about the hyperbole. Of course grandparents don't want to see the kids going offshore, but we want to show just the ridiculousness and the tension of that many young people are not participating, and reminding them that not voting isn't just an absence of voting, it does have a knock-on effect."
The Electoral Commission reports, as of the start of October, 117,620 Kiwis overseas were enrolled to vote. That's an increase of nearly 50% from this point in the 2023 election cycle when there were 79,577 enrolled.
There's a lack of up to date data on the number of New Zealanders overseas and how many of them are eligible to vote, but Stats NZ reported in 2020 that between 600,000 and 1 million New Zealanders live overseas, depending on the definition of the group.
To vote overseas, you have to be a New Zealand citizen who has visited in the past three years, or a New Zealand resident who has been in the country within the past year and be enrolled. Overseas voting starts on October 21 and ends on election day, November 7.
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