20 or 25 years ago...didn't NZ undergo a conservative overhaul of government ?
Now it is an interesting question. It was Rogernomics that got under the Labour government elected in 1984. New Zealand went free market economically, but on foreign policy and defence and social issues, it took a sharp turn to the left - it formally ended the military alliance with the United States under the very same Labour government.
Even today, you will see New Zealand's official foreign policy position as a mix of conservative and far-left ideals: it supports free trade and removal of farm subsidies, but on the otehr hand, it is also a big supporter of pacifism and UN-weenies on defence matters, and it is on the opposing side of pro-family issues.