The
New Zealand National Party ("National" or "the Nats") is the largest party in the
New Zealand House of RepresentativesThe New Zealand House of Representatives is the sole chamber of the legislature of New Zealand. The House and the Queen of New Zealand form the New Zealand Parliament....
and in November 2008 formed a
minority governmentA minority government or a minority cabinet is a cabinet of a parliamentary system formed when the governing political party or coalition of parties does not have a majority of overall seats in the parliament. It is also known as a hung parliament...
with support from three minor parties. For many decades National has been the largest (in terms of membership)
centre-rightIn politics, right-wing, political right, rightist and the Right are terms used to describe a number of positions and ideologies. They are most commonly used to refer to support for preserving traditional or cultural values and customs or for maintaining some form of social hierarchy or private...
conservativeConservatism is the diverse political and social philosophy that supports tradition and the status quo, or that calls for a return to the values and society of an earlier age, the status quo ante. However, the term has been used by politicians and political commentators with a variety of meanings...
political party in New Zealand.
Policies
According to the party's website, "The National Party seeks a safe, prosperous and successful New Zealand that creates opportunities for all New Zealanders to reach their personal goals and dreams".
The National Party advocates policies of reducing
taxTo tax is to impose a financial charge or other levy upon a taxpayer by a state or the functional equivalent of a state such that failure to pay is punishable by law.Taxes are also imposed by many subnational entities...
es, reducing social welfare payments, promoting
free tradeFree trade is a type of trade policy that allows traders to act and transact without interference from government. According to the law of comparative advantage the policy permits trading partners mutual gains from trade of goods and services....
, restoring or maintaining New Zealand's traditional (Western) defence and security alliances and promoting one standard of citizenship for all New Zealanders ("One law for all"). The party's policy-documents contain
commitmentCommitment means to duty or pledge to something or someone, and can refer to:*Personal commitment, interaction dominated by obligations. These obligations may be mutual, or self-imposed, or explicitly stated, or may not...
s to doubling New Zealand's economic growth, to giving welfare payments only to "those in genuine need" and to "speedy, full and final settlements to historic
Waitangi TreatyThe Treaty of Waitangi is a treaty first signed on February 6, 1840, by representatives of the British Crown, and various Māori chiefs from the northern North Island of New Zealand. The Treaty established a British governor in New Zealand, recognised Māori ownership of their lands and other...
claims".
National's 2008 tax package plan set out a three-year programme of personal tax cuts.
The National Party wants to retain skilled New Zealand workers and attract overseas New Zealanders back to New Zealand. The National Party wants to better match skills of immigrants and make immigration services world class in efficiency and effectiveness, restoring confidence in their integrity.
Support
Starting historically as a balanced urban/rural movement, National has seemed to appeal more consistently to country voters. At the
2005 electionThe 2005 New Zealand general election took place on 17 September 2005 and determined the composition of the 48th New Zealand Parliament. No single party or recognised bloc won a majority in the unicameral House of Representatives, but the Labour Party of Prime Minister Helen Clark secured two more...
, the Party narrowly won more votes than the
New Zealand Labour PartyThe New Zealand Labour Party is a New Zealand political party. It describes itself as centre-left and socially liberal, and Progressive, and has been one of the two primary parties of New Zealand politics since 1935....
in
AucklandThe Auckland metropolitan area , in the North Island of New Zealand, is the largest and most populous urban area in the country with a population approaching 1.4 million residents, percent of the country's population. Demographic trends indicate that it will continue to grow faster than the rest...
, New Zealand's largest city, and in the northern cities of
HamiltonHamilton is the centre of New Zealand's fourth largest urban area, and Hamilton City is the country's seventh largest territorial authority. Hamilton is in the Waikato region of the North Island, approximately south of Auckland...
and
TaurangaTauranga is the most populous city in the Bay of Plenty region, in the North Island of New Zealand.Settled by Europeans in the early 19th century, and constituted as a city in 1963., Tauranga City is the fifth largest urban area in New Zealand, with an urban population of The city lies in the...
. It also won almost all of the rural and provincial electoral seats. However, the rival Labour Party won considerably more votes in the cities of
WellingtonWellington is the capital of New Zealand, at the southwestern tip of the North Island between Cook Strait and the Rimutaka Range. The Wellington urban area is the major population centre of the southern North Island and is New Zealand's third most populous urban area with residents. There are ...
,
ChristchurchChristchurch is the largest city in the South Island of New Zealand, and the country's second-largest urban area. It is one third the way down the South Island's east coast, just north of Banks Peninsula which itself, since 2006, lies within the formal limits of Christchurch.The city was named by...
and
DunedinDunedin , , is the second-largest city in the South Island of New Zealand, and the principal city of the region of Otago. It has the largest council boundary area of any New Zealand city, and is the hub of the fifth-largest urban area...
.
Organisation
National features both regional and electorate-level organisational structures. National traditionally had a strongly decentralised organisation, designed to allow electorates and the five regions to appeal to the unique voter base in their area. However, in light of the
2002 election resultThe 2002 New Zealand general election was held on 27 July 2002 to determine the composition of the 47th New Zealand Parliament. It saw the reelection of Helen Clark's Labour Party government, as well as the worst-ever performance by the opposition National Party.Arguably the most controversial...
, a review of the party organisation resulted in decisions to weaken the regional structure and to implement a more centralised structure in order to make the structure more 'appropriate' for the new mixed member proportional electoral system. The Party President ( Peter Goodfellow) heads the administration outside of National's
current sitting MPsA caucus is a meeting of supporters or members of a political party or movement, especially in the United States. The exact definition varies among political cultures.-Origin of the term:...
.
Historically, the Party's youth wing, the
Young NationalsThe New Zealand Young Nationals are the youth wing of the New Zealand National Party a centre-right political party in New Zealand. It is a member of the International Young Democrat Union....
, commonly known as the "Young Nats", has provided much political impetus as a
ginger groupA ginger group is a group within, for example, a political party seeking to inspire the rest with its own enthusiasm and activity.A ginger group is a formal or informal grouping of people within a larger organization that actively works for more radical change to the policies, practices or...
: it gained a reputation as "the" social organisation in rural New Zealand and in some urban circles.
A group called the Bluegreens exists within National and advises on environmental policy.
Formation
The National Party officially formed in May 1936, but its roots go considerably further back. The party came about as the result of a merger between the United Party (known as the
Liberal PartyThe New Zealand Liberal Party is generally regarded as having been the first real political party in New Zealand. It governed from 1891 until 1912. Out of office, the Liberals gradually found themselves pressed between the conservative Reform Party and the growing Labour Party...
until 1927, except for a short period between 1925 and 1927 when it used the name "National Party") and the
Reform PartyThe Reform Party was New Zealand's second major political party, having been founded as a conservative response to the original Liberal Party. It was in government between 1912 and 1928, and later merged with the United Party to form the modern National Party.-Foundation:The Liberal Party, founded...
. The United Party gained its main support from the cities, and drew upon
businessA business is a legally recognized organization designed to provide goods and/or services to consumers. Businesses are predominant in capitalist economies, most being privately owned and formed to earn profit that will increase the wealth of its owners and grow the business itself...
es for money and upon
middle classThe middle class are any class in the middle of a social schema. In Weberian socio-economic terms they are the broad group of people in contemporary society who fall socioeconomically between the working class and upper class. In Marxist terms, middle class commonly refers to either the...
electors for votes, while the Reform Party had a
ruralRural areas are large and isolated areas of a country, often with low population density.About 91 percent of the rural population now earn salaried incomes, often in urban areas...
base and received substantial support from
farmerA farmer is a person who raises living organisms for food or raw materials.- Definition :The term farmer usually applies to a person who grows field crops, and/or manages orchards or vineyards, or raises livestock or poultry such as chicken and cows...
s, who then formed a substantial proportion of the population.
Historically, the Liberal and Reform parties had competed against each other, but from 1931 until 1935 a coalition between the United and Reform parties held power in New Zealand. The coalition went into the 1935 election under the title of the "National Political Federation", a name adopted to indicate that the grouping intended to represent New Zealanders from all backgrounds (in contrast to the previous situation, where United served city-dwellers and Reform served farmers). However, because of the effects of the
Great DepressionThe Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
and a perception that the existing coalition government had handled the situation poorly, the National Political Federation lost heavily in 1935 to the
Labour PartyThe New Zealand Labour Party is a New Zealand political party. It describes itself as centre-left and socially liberal, and Progressive, and has been one of the two primary parties of New Zealand politics since 1935....
, the rise of which had originally prompted the alliance.
A new party, called the New Zealand National Party, formed at a meeting held in Wellington on May 13 and 14, 1936. Erstwhile members of the United and Reform parties made up the bulk of the new party.
George ForbesGeorge William Forbes served as Prime Minister of New Zealand from 1930 to 1935. Few expected him to become Prime Minister when he did, and some believed him unsuitable, but he nevertheless remained in that office for five years...
, Prime Minister from 1930 until 1935 and United Party Leader, opened the conference; he served as Leader of the Opposition and leader of the newly formed party (largely in a caretaker capacity) from May until November, when the Reform MP
Adam HamiltonAdam Hamilton was a New Zealand politician. He was the first leader of the National Party during its early years in Opposition.-Early life:...
was elected the leader. Hamilton led the Party into its first election in 1938. He got the top job primarily due to a compromise between
George ForbesGeorge William Forbes served as Prime Minister of New Zealand from 1930 to 1935. Few expected him to become Prime Minister when he did, and some believed him unsuitable, but he nevertheless remained in that office for five years...
(former leader of United) and
Gordon CoatesJoseph Gordon Coates served as Prime Minister of New Zealand from 1925 to 1928.- Early life :Born on the Hukatere Peninsula in Kaipara Harbour where his family ran a farm, Coates took on significant responsibility at a relatively early age because his father suffered from bipolar disorder...
(former leader of Reform), neither of whom wished to serve under the other. Hamilton, however, failed to counter Labour's popular
Prime MinisterThe Prime Minister of New Zealand is New Zealand's head of government consequent on being the leader of the party or coalition with majority support in the Parliament of New Zealand...
,
Michael Joseph SavageMichael Joseph Savage was the first Labour Prime Minister of New Zealand.- Early life :Born in Tatong, Victoria, Australia, Savage first became involved in politics while working in that state. He emigrated to New Zealand in 1907...
effectively. This, along with perceptions that he remained too much under the control of Coates and that he lacked real support from his party colleagues, saw Hamilton fail to prevent Labour's re-election in 1938.
In 1940
Sidney HollandSir Sidney George Holland, GCMG, CH was Prime Minister of New Zealand from December 13 1949 to September 20 1957.-Early life:...
replaced Hamilton.
William PolsonSir William John Polson, KCMG was a New Zealand politician, first as an Independent and then in the National Party. He joined the National Party on its formation in 1936, and "later acted effectively as Holland's deputy" ....
"acted effectively as Holland's deputy" (Gustafson).
The 1943 election saw Labour's majority reduced, but it remained in
powerPower is a measure of an entity's ability to control the environment around itself, including the behavior of other entities. The term authority is often used for power, perceived as legitimate by the social structure. Power can be seen as evil or unjust, but the exercise of power is accepted as...
. In the 1946 elections, National also failed to unseat Labour. However, in the 1949 elections, thirteen years after the party's foundation, National finally won power, and Holland became Prime Minister.
The First National Government
In 1949 National had campaigned on "the private ownership of production, distribution and exchange". Once in power the new Holland Government proved decidedly administratively conservative, retaining, for instance, the
welfare stateThere are two main interpretations of the idea of a welfare state:* A model in which the state assumes primary responsibility for the welfare of its citizens...
set up by the previous Labour Government; though National gained, and has largely kept (with the exception of the Muldoon government), a reputation for showing more favour to farmers and to
businessA business is a legally recognized organization designed to provide goods and/or services to consumers. Businesses are predominant in capitalist economies, most being privately owned and formed to earn profit that will increase the wealth of its owners and grow the business itself...
than did the Labour Party.
In 1951 the
Waterfront DisputeThe 1951 New Zealand waterfront dispute was the largest and most widespread industrial dispute in New Zealand history so far. During the time, up to twenty thousand workers went on strike in support of waterfront workers protesting financial hardships and working conditions. Thousands more refused...
broke out, lasting 151 days. The National government stepped into the conflict, acting in opposition to the maritime
unionA trade union is an organization of workers who have banded together to achieve common goals in key areas, such as working conditions. The trade union, through its leadership, bargains with the employer on behalf of union members and negotiates labor contracts with employers...
s. Holland also used this opportunity to call the 1951 snap election. Campaigning on an
anti-CommunistAnti-communism is political and ideological opposition to communism, especially Marxism. Organized anti-communism developed in reaction to the growing popularity of the communist movement, and took on many forms during the 20th century....
platform and exploiting the Labour Opposition's apparent indecisiveness, National returned with an increased majority, gaining 54 parliamentary seats out of 80.
In the 1954 elections, National again won, though losing some of its seats, and Holland became Prime Minister for a third term. Towards the end of his third term, however, Holland became increasingly ill, and stepped down from the leadership shortly before the general election in 1957.
Keith HolyoakeSir Keith Jacka Holyoake, KG, GCMG, CH, QSO, KStJ was a New Zealand politician. The only person to have been both Prime Minister and Governor-General of New Zealand, Holyoake was National Party Prime Minister from 20 September 1957 to 12 December 1957, then again from 12 December 1960 to 7...
, the party's long-standing deputy leader, took Holland's place. Holyoake, however, had insufficient time to establish himself in the public mind as Prime Minister, and lost in the election later that year to Labour, then led by
Walter NashSir Walter Nash, GCMG, CH served as Prime Minister of the Second Labour Government of New Zealand from 1957 to 1960 and was also highly influential in his role as Minister of Finance. He is noted for his long period of service, having been associated with the Labour Party since its creation...
.
Second National Government
Nash's government became very unpopular. Labour quickly acquired a reputation for poor economic management, and much of the public saw its
1958 BudgetIn New Zealand, the term Black Budget refers to the government budget of 26 June 1958 in which Finance Minister Arnold Nordmeyer increased taxes on beer, tobacco, cars and petrol....
, known since as the "Black Budget", as miserly and puritanical. After only one term in office, Labour suffered defeat at the hands of Holyoake and the National Party in the elections of 1960.
Holyoake's government lasted twelve years, the Party gaining re-election three times (in 1963, 1966, and 1969). However, this period also saw the rise of
Social CreditThe New Zealand Social Credit Party was a political party which served as the country's "third party" from the 1950s through into the 1980s. The party held a number of seats in the New Zealand Parliament, although never more than two at a time...
, which broke the National/Labour duopoly in parliament, winning former National seats from 1966. Holyoake retired from the Prime Ministership and from the Party leadership at the beginning of 1972, and his deputy,
Jack MarshallSir John Ross Marshall, GBE, CH, , generally known as Jack Marshall, was a New Zealand politician. After spending twelve years as Deputy Prime Minister, he served as Prime Minister for most of 1972....
, replaced him.
Marshall suffered the same fate as Holyoake. Having succeeded an experienced leader in an election-year, he failed to establish himself in time. Marshall had an added disadvantage; he had to compete against the much more popular and charismatic
Norman KirkNorman Eric Kirk was Prime Minister of New Zealand from 1972 until his sudden death in 1974. He led the Parliamentary wing of the New Zealand Labour Party from 1965 to 1974. He was the fourth Labour Prime Minister of New Zealand, but the first to be born in New Zealand...
, then leader of the Labour Party, and lost the ensuing election. Unpopular policies, including initiating clear felling of parts of the Warawara kauri forest, also needlessly alienated voters.{Adams 1980}
Third National Government
Within two years the Party removed Marshall as its parliamentary leader and replaced him with
Robert MuldoonSir Robert David "Rob" Muldoon, GCMG, CH served as Prime Minister of New Zealand from 1975 to 1984, as leader of the governing National party.-Youth:...
, who had previously served as
Minister of FinanceThe Minister of Finance is a senior figure within the government of New Zealand. The position is often considered to be the most important Cabinet role after that of the Prime Minister....
. An intense contest between Kirk and Muldoon followed. Kirk became ill and died in office (1974); his successor, Bill Rowling, proved no match for Muldoon, and in the 1975 elections, National under Muldoon returned comfortably to power.
The Muldoon administration, which favoured
interventionistEconomic interventionism is an action taken by a government in a market economy or market-oriented mixed economy, beyond the basic regulation of fraud and enforcement of contracts, in an effort to affect its own economy...
economic policies, arouses mixed opinions amongst the majority
free-marketA free market describes a market without economic intervention and regulation by government except to regulate against force or fraud. The terminology is used by economists and in popular culture. A free market requires protection of property rights, but no regulation, no subsidization, no single...
adherents of the modern National.
Bill BirchSir William Francis Birch, GNZM , usually known as Bill Birch, is a former New Zealand politician. He served as Minister of Finance for several years in the fourth National government.-Early life:...
's "
Think BigThe New Zealand Prime Minister Robert Muldoon and his New Zealand National Party government in the early 1980s sponsored Think Big as an interventionist state economic strategy. The Think Big schemes saw the government borrow heavily overseas, running up a large external deficit, and using the...
" initiatives, designed to invest public money in major projects, stand in contrast to the Party's views. Muldoon's interventionist economics, increasingly unpopular with both the public and the Party, caused an attempted leadership change in 1980. Led by ministers
Derek QuigleyDerek Francis Quigley, QSO is a former New Zealand politician. He was a prominent member of the National Party during the late 1970s and early 1980s, and was known for his support of free market economics and trade liberalization...
,
Jim McLayJames Kenneth McLay, CNZM, QSO , generally known as Jim McLay, is a former New Zealand politician. He was Deputy Prime Minister, leader of the National Party and Leader of the Opposition for a short time.-Early life:...
, and Jim Bolger, the challenge (dubbed the "colonels' coup") against Muldoon aimed to replace him with
Brian TalboysSir Brian Edward Talboys, AC, CH, KCB, was a New Zealand politician. He served as Deputy Prime Minister for the first two terms of Robert Muldoon's premiership. If the abortive "Colonels' Coup" against Muldoon had been successful, Talboys would have become Prime Minister himself.-Early...
, his deputy. However, the plan collapsed as the result of Talboys' unwillingness, and Muldoon kept his position.
Under Muldoon, National won elections in 1978 and 1981. However, public dissatisfaction with Government policies grew, and Muldoon's controlling and belligerent style of
leadershipLeadership has been described as the “process of social influence in which one person can enlist the aid and support of others in the accomplishment of a common task”...
became less and less appealing. In the 1981 election, National gained fewer votes than the Labour opposition, but could command a small majority in Parliament because of the then-used First Past the Post electoral system.
Dissent within the National Party continued to grow, however. Rebel National MPs
Marilyn WaringMarilyn Waring, CNZM is a New Zealand feminist, an activist for "female human rights", an author and an academic. She holds a Ph.D. in political economy. A member of the conservative National Party, she became at 22 the youngest member of the New Zealand Parliament in 1975, for Raglan...
and
Mike MinogueMichael John "Mike" Minogue was a National Party politician, lawyer and mayor.He was Mayor of Hamilton, New Zealand between 1968 and 1976, when he resigned to become a Member of Parliament...
caused particular concern to the leadership, threatening National's thin majority in parliament. When, in 1984, Marilyn Waring refused to support Muldoon's policies on visits by nuclear-powered and nuclear-armed ships, Muldoon called a snap election. Muldoon made the television announcement of this election while visibly
inebriatedAlcohol intoxication is a physiological state occurring when an organism has a high level of ethyl alcohol in its bloodstream, or when ethyl alcohol otherwise causes a physiological effect...
, and some believe that he later regretted the decision to "go to the country". National resoundingly lost the election to Labour under
David LangeDavid Russell Lange, ONZ, CH , served as Prime Minister of New Zealand from 1984 to 1989. He headed New Zealand's fourth Labour Government, one of the most reforming administrations in his country's history, but one which did not always conform to traditional expectations of a social-democrat party...
.
Fourth National Government
Shortly after this loss, the Party removed Muldoon from the leadership.
Jim McLayJames Kenneth McLay, CNZM, QSO , generally known as Jim McLay, is a former New Zealand politician. He was Deputy Prime Minister, leader of the National Party and Leader of the Opposition for a short time.-Early life:...
, who had replaced Brian Talboys as deputy leader shortly before the election, became the new leader. McLay, however, failed to restore the party's fortunes, partly because a bitter Muldoon undermined McLay's position. In 1986
Jim BolgerJames Brendan "Jim" Bolger, ONZ was Prime Minister of New Zealand from 1990 to 1997. Bolger was elected on the promise of delivering a "Decent Society" following the previous Labour government's economic reforms, known as Rogernomics...
took over the leadership.
In the 1990 elections National defeated Labour in an electoral landslide and formed a new government under
Jim BolgerJames Brendan "Jim" Bolger, ONZ was Prime Minister of New Zealand from 1990 to 1997. Bolger was elected on the promise of delivering a "Decent Society" following the previous Labour government's economic reforms, known as Rogernomics...
. However, the Party lost support when it continued the economic reforms which had damaged the previous Labour government — these policies, started by Labour Party Finance Minister
Roger DouglasSir Roger Owen Douglas , a New Zealand politician, formerly served as a senior New Zealand Labour Party Cabinet minister. He became arguably best-known for his prominent role in the radical economic restructuring undertaken by the Fourth Labour Government during the 1980s...
and popularly known as
RogernomicsThe term Rogernomics, a portmanteau of "Roger" and "economics", was created by analogy with Reaganomics to describe the economic policies followed by New Zealand Finance Minister Roger Douglas from his appointment in 1984...
, centred on the
privatizationPrivatization is the incidence or process of transferring ownership of a business, enterprise, agency or public service from the public sector to the private sector...
of state assets and on the removal of tariffs and
subsidiesA subsidy is a form of financial assistance paid to a business or economic sector. Most subsidies are made by the government to producers or distributors in an industry to prevent the decline of that industry or an increase in the prices of its products or simply to encourage it to hire more...
. These policies alienated traditional Labour supporters, who saw them as a betrayal of the party's left-wing character, but did not entirely appease the right-wing National party either. Many more conservative National supporters preferred Muldoon's more authoritarian and interventionist policies over the free-market liberalism promoted by Douglas. However, the new National Party Finance Minister,
Ruth RichardsonRuth Richardson served as New Zealand's Minister of Finance from 1990 to 1993, and is known for her strong pursuit of free-market economic reforms .-Early life:...
, strongly supported Rogernomics, believing that Douglas had not gone far enough. (See
RuthanasiaRuthanasia, a portmanteau of "Ruth" and "euthanasia", is the pejorative name given to the period of free-market economic reform conducted during the first term of the fourth National government in New Zealand, from 1990 to 1993...
.) Her policies encouraged two National MPs to leave the National Party and form the
New Zealand Liberal Party (1992)The New Zealand Liberal Party founded in 1992 was a splinter group of the National Party....
. Richardson's views also met with considerable opposition within the National Party Parliamentary Caucus and caused damage to the party's membership base.
Nevertheless, National retained office (albeit barely) in 1993, due partly to a strongly recovering economy. At the same time as the 1993 election, however, a referendum took place which established the MMP electoral system for future use in New Zealand general elections. This would have a significant impact on New Zealand politics. Some National Party MPs defected to a new grouping,
United New ZealandUnited New Zealand was a centrist political party in New Zealand. It eventually merged with another party to form the modern United Future New Zealand group....
in mid-1995. And as a result of the new electoral mechanics, the
New Zealand FirstNew Zealand First is a political party in New Zealand. It had members in the New Zealand House of Representatives for over fifteen years, from the date that Winston Peters, its leader, won his Tauranga electorate seat in 1993...
Party, led by former National MP and former Cabinet minister
Winston PetersWinston Raymond Peters is a New Zealand politician and leader of New Zealand First, a political party he founded in 1993. Peters has had a turbulent political career since entering Parliament in 1978. He served as Minister of Maori Affairs in the Bolger National Party Government before being...
, held the balance of power after the 1996 elections. After a prolonged period of negotiation, in which New Zealand First played National and Labour off against each other (both parties negotiated complete coalition agreements), New Zealand First entered into a coalition with National.
Under the coalition agreement, Peters became
Deputy Prime MinisterThe Deputy Prime Minister of New Zealand is second most senior officer in the Government of New Zealand, although this seniority does not necessarily translate into power....
and had the post of
TreasurerA treasurer is the person responsible for running the treasury of an organization.-Government:The Treasury of a country is the department responsible for the country's economy, finance and revenue. The Treasurer is generally the head of the Treasury, although, in some countries A treasurer is the...
especially invented for him. New Zealand First extracted a number of other concessions from National in exchange for its support. The influence of New Zealand First angered many National MPs, particularly
Jenny ShipleyDame Jennifer "Jenny" Mary Shipley, DNZM , was the Prime Minister of New Zealand from December 1997 to December 1999, the first woman to hold this office and the first and to date only woman to serve as leader of the National Party.-Early life:She was born and christened Jennifer Mary Robson in the...
. When, in 1997, Shipley toppled
BolgerJames Brendan "Jim" Bolger, ONZ was Prime Minister of New Zealand from 1990 to 1997. Bolger was elected on the promise of delivering a "Decent Society" following the previous Labour government's economic reforms, known as Rogernomics...
to become National's new leader, relations between National and its coalition partner deteriorated. After Shipley sacked Peters from
CabinetA Cabinet is a body of high-ranking members of government, typically representing the executive branch. It can also sometimes be referred to as the Council of Ministers, an Executive Council, or Executive Committee.- Overview :...
in 1998, the New Zealand First party split into two groups - half the MPs followed Peters out of the coalition, but the remainder broke away, establishing themselves as independents or as members of new parties. From the latter group National gained enough support to continue in government. The visibly damaged National Government managed to survive the parliamentary term, but lost the election to Labour's
Helen ClarkHelen Elizabeth Clark , a New Zealand politician and administrator, is the head of the United Nations Development Programme, the third-highest UN position. Clark was the 37th Prime Minister of New Zealand for three consecutive terms from 1999 to 2008 and led the Labour Party from 1993 until it lost...
and the
AllianceThe Alliance, in New Zealand politics, is a left-wing political party. The party is currently outside parliament, but has previously been a significant presence there. It suffered a major setback after Jim Anderton, the party's leader, left the party in 2002, taking several of the party's MPs...
's
Jim AndertonJames Patrick Anderton, usually known as Jim Anderton , is leader of the Progressive Party, a political party in the New Zealand Parliament. He has served in Parliament since 1984...
, who formed a coalition government.
Fifth National Government
Shipley continued to lead the National Party until 2001, when
Bill EnglishSimon William "Bill" English is the Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Finance and Minister of Infrastructure of New Zealand.English entered parliament in 1990 as a National party MP representing the Wallace electorate...
replaced her. English, however, proved unable to gain traction against Clark, and National suffered its worst-ever electoral defeat in the 2002 elections, gaining only 27 of 120 seats. Many hoped that English would succeed in rebuilding the party, given time, but a year later polling showed the party performing only slightly better than in the election. In October 2003 English gave way as leader to
Don BrashDonald "Don" Thomas Brash , a former New Zealand politician, was Leader of the Opposition and parliamentary leader of the National Party from 28 October 2003 to 27 November 2006...
, a former governor of the
Reserve BankThe Reserve Bank of New Zealand is the central bank of New Zealand and is constituted under the Reserve Bank of New Zealand Act 1989. The Governor of the Reserve Bank is responsible for New Zealand's currency and operating monetary policy. The Bank's current Governor is Dr. Alan Bollard...
who had joined the National Parliamentary caucus in the 2002 election.
Under Dr Brash, the National Party's overall popularity with voters improved markedly. Mostly, however, the party achieved this by "reclaiming" support from electors who voted for other centre-right parties in 2002. National's campaigning on race relations, amid claims of preferential treatment of
MāoriThe Māori are the indigenous Polynesian people of New Zealand . The group probably arrived in southwestern Polynesia in several waves at some time before 1300...
, and amid their opposition to Labour Party policy during the
foreshore-and-seabed controversyThe New Zealand foreshore and seabed controversy is a debate in the politics of New Zealand. It concerns the ownership of the country's foreshore and seabed, with many Māori groups claiming that Māori have a rightful claim to title. These claims are based around historical possession and the...
, generated considerable publicity and much controversy. Strong campaigning on a tax-cuts theme in the lead-up to the 2005 elections, together with a consolidation of centre-right support, may have contributed to the National Party's winning 48 out of 121 seats in Parliament. National, however, remained the second-largest party in Parliament (marginally behind Labour, which gained 50 seats), and had fewer options for forming a coalition government. With the formation of a new Labour-dominated Government, National remained the major Opposition party.
After the 2005 election defeat Don Brash's leadership of National came under scrutiny from the media, and political watchers speculated on the prospect of a leadership-challenge before the next
general election due in 2008The people of New Zealand voted in a general election on 8 November 2008 to determine the composition of the 49th New Zealand Parliament, and thus the makeup of the government of New Zealand for the three years to 2011. The centre-right National Party, headed by its Parliamentary leader John Key,...
. Don Brash resigned on November 23, 2006, immediately before the release of
Nicky HagerNicky Hager is an author and investigative journalist born in Levin, New Zealand and now resides in Wellington.Hager generally writes about issues involving intelligence networks, environmental issues and politics. He has degrees in physics and philosophy...
's book
The Hollow MenThe Hollow Men is a 2006 book written by Nicky Hager about the election strategies used by the New Zealand National Party during New Zealand's 2005 parliamentary election...
, which contained damaging revelations obtained from private emails.
John KeyJohn Phillip Key is the 38th and current Prime Minister of New Zealand and leader of the New Zealand National Party.John Key entered the New Zealand House of Representatives in 2002 representing the north-west Auckland constituency of Helensville as a National MP, a seat that he has held since then...
became the leader of the National caucus on 27 November 2006. Key fostered a more "centrist" image, discussing issues such as
child povertyChild poverty concerns poverty of people under the age of 18.- Causes: :* Government corruption.* Lack of social integration.* Crime.* Natural disasters.* Substance abuse, such as alcoholism and drug abuse.* Natural factors such as climate or environment....
.
On the 8 November 2008, the National Party, led by John Key, won 58 seats in the national election. The Labour Party, who had spent three terms in power, conceded the election and on November 19 the New Government was sworn in. The National Party was joined in electoral success by the right-wing ACT Party, led by
Rodney HideRodney Hide is a New Zealand politician who became leader of the political party ACT New Zealand in 2004. Since 2005, he has represented the electorate of Epsom as its Member of Parliament...
, which won 5 seats and have joined National in forming a coalition government. The single seat won by
Peter DunnePeter Dunne , a New Zealand politician and Member of Parliament, leads the United Future political party. He has served as a Cabinet minister in governments dominated by the centre-left Labour Party as well as by the centre-right National Party...
for his United Future Party is also part of a centre-right coalition government. After the election
John KeyJohn Phillip Key is the 38th and current Prime Minister of New Zealand and leader of the New Zealand National Party.John Key entered the New Zealand House of Representatives in 2002 representing the north-west Auckland constituency of Helensville as a National MP, a seat that he has held since then...
entered into talks with the
Maori PartyThe Māori Party, a political party in New Zealand, was formed on 7 July 2004. The party is guided by eight constitutional "kaupapa", meaning in this context the way the party frames the objectives of the organisation. Co-Leader Tariana Turia formed the Māori Party after resigning from the Labour...
even though he had a majority. The National Government currently consists of
National (58),
ActACT New Zealand is a political party in New Zealand that espouses free market classical liberalism in the New Zealand Parliament. According to party leader Rodney Hide, the party stands for 'individual freedom, personal responsibility, doing the best for our natural environment and for smaller,...
(5)
Maori PartyThe Māori Party, a political party in New Zealand, was formed on 7 July 2004. The party is guided by eight constitutional "kaupapa", meaning in this context the way the party frames the objectives of the organisation. Co-Leader Tariana Turia formed the Māori Party after resigning from the Labour...
(5) and United Future's Peter Dunne. The National Government Currently has 69 seats in a 122 seat Parliament. In Key's First Cabinet he gave Act Party's Rodney Hide and
Heather RoyHeather Roy , is a New Zealand politician and has served as a Member of Parliament since 2002 and as Deputy Leader of the ACT New Zealand party.Before entering politics, Roy worked as a physiotherapist...
a seat outside cabinet and the Maori Party's
Tariana TuriaTariana Turia is a New Zealand politician. She gained considerable prominence during the foreshore and seabed controversy, and eventually broke with her party as a result...
and
Pita SharplesPita Russell Sharples, CBE, , a Māori academic and politician, currently co-leads the Māori Party. He currently is the member for Tamaki Makaurau in New Zealand's Parliament.-Early life:...
the same. Peter Dunne also received a ministerial post outside cabinet.
Parliamentary leaders
| Order |
Leader |
Term |
Leader of the Opposition |
Prime Minister |
| 1 |
George Forbes George Forbes may refer to:*George Forbes , 19th century merchant and political figure in Prince Edward Island*George Forbes , Scottish electrical engineer, astronomer, and inventor...
|
1936 |
1936 |
|
| 2 |
Adam Hamilton Adam Hamilton was a New Zealand politician. He was the first leader of the National Party during its early years in Opposition.-Early life:...
|
1936 – 1940 |
1936 – 1940 |
|
| 3 |
Sidney Holland Sir Sidney George Holland, GCMG, CH was Prime Minister of New Zealand from December 13 1949 to September 20 1957.-Early life:...
|
1940 – 1957 |
1940 – 1949 |
1949 – 1957 |
| 4 |
Keith HolyoakeSir Keith Jacka Holyoake, KG, GCMG, CH, QSO, KStJ was a New Zealand politician. The only person to have been both Prime Minister and Governor-General of New Zealand, Holyoake was National Party Prime Minister from 20 September 1957 to 12 December 1957, then again from 12 December 1960 to 7...
|
1957 – 1972 |
1957 – 1960 |
1957
1960 – 1972 |
| 5 |
Jack Marshall Sir John Ross Marshall, GBE, CH, , generally known as Jack Marshall, was a New Zealand politician. After spending twelve years as Deputy Prime Minister, he served as Prime Minister for most of 1972....
|
1972 – 1974 |
1972 – 1974 |
1972 |
| 6 |
Robert MuldoonSir Robert David "Rob" Muldoon, GCMG, CH served as Prime Minister of New Zealand from 1975 to 1984, as leader of the governing National party.-Youth:...
|
1974 – 1984 |
1974 – 1975
1984 |
1975 – 1984 |
| 7 |
Jim McLay James Kenneth McLay, CNZM, QSO , generally known as Jim McLay, is a former New Zealand politician. He was Deputy Prime Minister, leader of the National Party and Leader of the Opposition for a short time.-Early life:...
|
1984 – 1986 |
1984 – 1986 |
|
| 8 |
Jim Bolger |
1986 – 1997 |
1986 – 1990 |
1990 – 1997 |
| 9 |
Jenny ShipleyDame Jennifer "Jenny" Mary Shipley, DNZM , was the Prime Minister of New Zealand from December 1997 to December 1999, the first woman to hold this office and the first and to date only woman to serve as leader of the National Party.-Early life:She was born and christened Jennifer Mary Robson in the...
|
1997 – 2001 |
1999 – 2001 |
1997 – 1999 |
| 10 |
Bill English Simon William "Bill" English is the Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Finance and Minister of Infrastructure of New Zealand.English entered parliament in 1990 as a National party MP representing the Wallace electorate...
|
2001 – 2003 |
2001 – 2003 |
|
| 11 |
Don BrashDonald "Don" Thomas Brash , a former New Zealand politician, was Leader of the Opposition and parliamentary leader of the National Party from 28 October 2003 to 27 November 2006...
|
2003 – 2006 |
2003 – 2006 |
|
| 12 |
John KeyJohn Phillip Key is the 38th and current Prime Minister of New Zealand and leader of the New Zealand National Party.John Key entered the New Zealand House of Representatives in 2002 representing the north-west Auckland constituency of Helensville as a National MP, a seat that he has held since then...
|
2006 – Present |
2006 – 2008 |
2008 – Present |
Forbes served as Prime Minister from 1930 to 1935, prior to the formation of The New Zealand National Party.
Party Presidents
| Name |
Term |
| Sir George Wilson |
1936 |
| Colonel Claude H. Weston |
1936 – 1940 |
| Alex Gordon |
1940 – 1944 |
| Sir Wilfred Sim |
1944 – 1951 |
| Sir Alex McKenzie |
1951 – 1962 |
| John S. Meadowcroft |
1962 – 1966 |
| Edward Durning (Ned) Holt |
1966 – 1973 |
| Sir George Chapman |
1973 – 1982 |
| Sue Wood Suzanne Mary Wood, born in Onehunga in 1948, was the president of the National Party from 1982 to 1986, the first woman to hold the post. She had been a teacher, journalist and swimming coach....
|
1982 – 1986 |
| Neville Young |
1986 – 1989 |
| John Collinge John Gregory Collinge is a former president of the New Zealand National Party, from 1989 to 1994. He was then appointed High Commissioner to the United Kingdom from 1994 to 1997....
|
1989 – 1994 |
| Lindsay Tisch William Lindsay Tisch, known as Lindsay Tisch is a New Zealand politician, and member of the National Party.-Member of Parliament:...
|
1994 |
| Geoff Thompson Geoffrey William Fleetwood Thompson was a New Zealand Member of Parliament for Horowhenua, in the North Island.-Member of Parliament:...
|
1994 – 1998 |
| John Slater |
1998 – 2001 |
| Michelle Boag |
2001 – 2002 |
| Judy Kirk |
2002 – 2009 |
| Peter Goodfellow |
2009-Present |
Short biographies of all Presidents up to Sue Wood appear in Barry Gustafson's
The First Fifty Years.
See also
- Political parties in New Zealand
New Zealand national politics feature a pervasive party system. Usually, all members of Parliament's unicameral House of Representatives belong to a political party. Independent MPs occur relatively rarely...
- Governments of New Zealand
The Governments of New Zealand are based on the Westminster system of responsible government. Executive government in New Zealand is based on the principle that "The Queen reigns, but the government rules, so long as it has the support of the House of Representatives"...
- National Party's Caucus and National MPs' responsibilities
External links