In October 2013 , Prime Minister John Key hinted that the election would take place before November . The setting of the election date became further influenced by Australia inviting New Zealand to attend the G20 summit in Brisbane on 15 and 16 November 2014 , with the possibility that some leaders might make flying visits to New Zealand . Ideally , major diplomatic visits and engagements should be avoided during the election period , as they can distract politicians from campaigning and voters may see them as an attempt to influence the election result
G20 summit
2014 G20 Brisbane summit
2014 New Zealand general election