Key Set for N.Z. Win as Barbeque Beer Beats Credit Downgrade

Under John Key’s watch New Zealand’s unemployment rose to a decade high, the budget deficit ballooned and the country lost its top credit rating. That won’t stop the prime minister from registering the biggest election win in 60 years, according to opinion polls.

Billboards with a smiling Key alongside National party candidates across the country testify to his allure with voters who head to the polls on Nov. 26. A former head of foreign exchange at Merrill Lynch & Co., Key’s financial resume has also bolstered his appeal even as protesters abroad rail against bankers and six of 17 euro-region countries have lost their leaders this year.