New Zealand's Parliament was dissolved on Thursday, ahead of national elections scheduled in November. The dissolution marks the official start of campaigning for the election, which is shaping up to be a tight contest between the ruling centre-right coalition and the Labour-led left bloc.
Parliament held its final sitting on September 23 ahead of the November 7 vote, with parties focussing on cost of living, economic management and public services.
New Zealand's German-style Mixed Member Proportional (MMP) electoral system has made coalition governments the norm since it was introduced three decades ago, giving minor parties an outsized role in determining who governs.
Parliament normally has 120 seats, though extra seats can be added when a party wins more electorate seats than its share of the nationwide party vote would otherwise entitle it to.
The decade-old centrist Opportunity Party could emerge as kingmaker at this election, according to some polls.