Wellington - New Zealand's conservative National Party swept into power on Saturday in a general election that saw an overwhelming vote for change after nine years of rule by Prime Minister Helen Clark's Labour-led coalition.

Clark, 58, the first Labour leader to win three elections, immediately announced that she would step down from the party's leadership before Christmas, although she will remain in parliament having retained her Auckland seat.

Wellington- New Zealand's new Prime Minister, John Key, 47, who steered his conservative National Party to victory in Saturday's general election, is a classic example of a poor boy made good.

Brought up by his mother in a state house after his alcoholic father died when he was seven, he made a fortune overseas as a foreign currency dealer before returning home to enter parliament a multi-millionaire and its richest member.

Wellington - New Zealand's conservative National Party appeared set to oust the Labour-led coalition that has ruled for the last nine years after Saturday's general election.

With 88 per cent of the party vote counted, Television New Zealand predicted the Nationals and their allies would have 69 seats in the new parliament against 53 for Labour and their Green coalition partners.

But Mike Williams, president of the Labour Party, refused to concede defeat as counting in the main cities continued.

New Zealanders have two votes - one for their local constituency member of parliament and the other for a party. The party vote is the most important in deciding the government.

Wellington  - New Zealand's conservative National Party took an early lead over the ruling Labour coalition as votes were counted in Saturday's general election.

With 39 per cent of the party vote counted, television channels predicted the Nationals and their allies could have 67 seats in the new parliament against 49 for Labour and their Green coalition partners.

New Zealanders have two votes - one for their local constituency member of parliament and the other for a party. The party vote is the most important in deciding the government.

Wellington  - New Zealanders voted Saturday in a general election that could see the Labour-led coalition, which has governed for the last nine years, defeated by its conservative opponents, according to opinion polls.

The weather was fine in most of the country and officials tipped a record turnout, ahead of the 80 per cent of voters who cast their ballots at the last election in 2005.

Wellington - A man whose bride was killed in a car crash while being driven home from their wedding reception said he should have been in the car with her, a newspaper reported on Saturday.

Instead, Chinese immigrant Quiong Mao, 28, told the New Zealand Herald, he offered to drive home a guest who had too much to drink. It is a decision he said he would regret for the rest of his life.