Second National Government of New Zealand
Encyclopedia
The Second National Government of New Zealand was the government of New Zealand
Governments of New Zealand
The Government of New Zealand , formally Her Majesty's Government in New Zealand, is based on the Westminster system of responsible government...

 from 1960 to 1972. It was a conservative government which sought mainly to preserve the economic prosperity and general stability of the early 1960s. It was one of New Zealand's longest-serving governments.

Economic policy

  • Compulsory unionism
    Unionism
    -Trades:*Community Unionism, describes the various ways in which trade unions can work with communities and community organizations*Craft unionism, an approach to union organizing in the United States and elsewhere that seeks to unify workers in a particular industry along the lines of the...

     was relaxed.
  • Negotiated continued access to United Kingdom
    United Kingdom
    The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...

     markets following the UK's acceptance into the European Economic Community
    European Economic Community
    The European Economic Community The European Economic Community (EEC) The European Economic Community (EEC) (also known as the Common Market in the English-speaking world, renamed the European Community (EC) in 1993The information in this article primarily covers the EEC's time as an independent...

    .

Treaty of Waitangi and Maori policy

  • Responded to the increasing urbanisation of the Māori people with a policy of cultural assimilation
    Cultural assimilation
    Cultural assimilation is a socio-political response to demographic multi-ethnicity that supports or promotes the assimilation of ethnic minorities into the dominant culture. The term assimilation is often used with regard to immigrants and various ethnic groups who have settled in a new land. New...

    , which aimed to integrate Māori into Pākehā
    Pakeha
    Pākehā is a Māori language word for New Zealanders who are "of European descent". They are mostly descended from British and to a lesser extent Irish settlers of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, although some Pākehā have Dutch, Scandinavian, German, Yugoslav or other ancestry...

     lifestyles. This policy included the abolition of the Native School system
    Native schools
    In New Zealand, Native Schools were established to provide education for the Māori.Until the 1860s, the government subsidised church schools for the Maori. Early missionary schools were often conducted in the Māori language, which was the predominant language throughout the early part of the 19th...

     in 1969.
  • Amended the Waitangi Day Act
    Waitangi Day Act
    There have been two Waitangi Day Acts passed by the New Zealand Parliament: the Waitangi Day Act 1960 and the Waitangi Day Act 1976. Neither made the sixth of February a public holiday; this was done by the New Zealand Day Act 1973. The first Waitangi Day Act was a token gesture towards...

     1960 to make Waitangi Day
    Waitangi Day
    Waitangi Day commemorates a significant day in the history of New Zealand. It is a public holiday held each year on 6 February to celebrate the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi, New Zealand's founding document, on that date in 1840.-History:...

     a public holiday in the Northland Region.

Other

  • On 12 October 1961 ten National MPs voted with the Opposition and removed capital punishment
    Capital punishment in New Zealand
    Capital punishment in New Zealand first appeared in a codified form when New Zealand became a British territory in 1840, and was first employed in 1842. It was last used in 1957, abolished for murder in 1961, and abolished altogether, including for treason, in 1989. During the period that it was in...

     for murder from the Crimes Bill that the government had introduced, by a vote of 41 to 30. Ralph Hanan
    Ralph Hanan
    Josiah Ralph Hanan known as Ralph Hanan was a New Zealand politician of the National Party.He represented the Invercargill electorate in Parliament from 1946 to 1969, and was a son of Josiah Hanan who had previously held the seat...

    , the Minister of Justice
    Minister of Justice (New Zealand)
    The Minister of Justice is a minister in the government of New Zealand. The minister has responsibility for the formulation of justice policy and for the administration of law courts....

     who had introduced the bill was one of them

Foreign affairs

  • New Zealand troops committed to the defence of Malaysia in the Indonesia-Malaysia confrontation
    Indonesia-Malaysia confrontation
    Indonesia–Malaysia confrontation during 1962–1966 was Indonesia’s political and armed opposition to the creation of Malaysia. It is also known by its Indonesian/Malay name Konfrontasi...

    .
  • Committed a small number of New Zealand troops to the Vietnam War
    New Zealand in the Vietnam War
    New Zealand's involvement in the Vietnam War was highly controversial, sparking widespread protest at home from anti-Vietnam War movements modelled on their American counterparts...

    .
  • Re-established compulsory military training.

Constitutional

  • Appointed the first New Zealand born Governor-General
    Governor-General of New Zealand
    The Governor-General of New Zealand is the representative of the monarch of New Zealand . The Governor-General acts as the Queen's vice-regal representative in New Zealand and is often viewed as the de facto head of state....

     in 1967 (Sir Arthur Porritt) and the first New Zealand born and New Zealand resident Governor-General, Sir Denis Blundell
    Denis Blundell
    -Bibliography:* The Story of Bell Gully Buddle Weir by Julia Millen ISBN 1-86934-026-4-External links:* *...

     in 1972.
  • Voting age lowered to 20, from 21.

Formation

The key issue of the 1960 election was the 'Black Budget
Black Budget (New Zealand)
In 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.The second Labour government took office in 1957, the 32nd Parliament...

' of 1958, in which the Labour
New Zealand Labour Party
The New Zealand Labour Party is a New Zealand political party. It describes itself as centre-left and socially progressive and has been one of the two primary parties of New Zealand politics since 1935....

 government had raised taxes on alcohol, petrol and cigarettes. Although the government argued that it was necessary to address a balance of payments
Balance of payments
Balance of payments accounts are an accounting record of all monetary transactions between a country and the rest of the world.These transactions include payments for the country's exports and imports of goods, services, financial capital, and financial transfers...

 crisis, National
New Zealand National Party
The New Zealand National Party is the largest party in the New Zealand House of Representatives and in November 2008 formed a minority government with support from three minor parties.-Policies:...

 continually attacked the government for it, and most historians consider that it lost Labour the election after only one term in office. Another, less important factor, may have been the age of Labour's leadership. Prime Minister Walter Nash
Walter Nash
Sir Walter Nash, GCMG, CH served as the 27th Prime Minister of New Zealand in the Second Labour Government from 1957 to 1960, and was also highly influential in his role as Minister of Finance...

 was 78 in 1960, and had been Finance Minister in the first Labour government
First Labour Government of New Zealand
The First Labour Government of New Zealand was the government of New Zealand from 1935 to 1949. It set the tone of New Zealand's economic and welfare policies until the 1980s, establishing a welfare state, a system of Keynesian economic management, and high levels of state intervention...

 25 years earlier. Voters probably considered him and many of his team old and out of touch in contrast with National leader Keith Holyoake
Keith Holyoake
Sir 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...

, who in 1960 was only in his mid 50s.

The phrase Young Turk was used by Ian Templeton
Ian Templeton
Ian Campbell Templeton, CNZM, OBE is a veteran New Zealand political reporter who celebrated fifty years of reporting the New Zealand Parliament from the press gallery in 2007. He has written several books on politics...

 to describe three of the new National MPs elected in 1960, Peter Gordon
Peter Gordon
Peter Gordon may refer to:* Peter Gordon , celebrity chef from New Zealand* Peter Gordon , composer and musician based in New York City* Peter Gordon , radio presenter in Surrey, England...

, Duncan MacIntyre
Duncan MacIntyre (New Zealand)
Brigadier-General Duncan MacIntyre, CMG, DSO, OBE, ED, PC was a New Zealand politician of the National Party. He served as Deputy Prime Minister from 1981 to 1984 under Prime Minister Robert Muldoon.-Member of Parliament:...

 and Rob Muldoon. The description stuck (Zavos
Spiro Zavos
Spiro Zavos is an Australasian historian, philosopher, journalist and writer...

).

The 1963 election

In many ways the 1963 election was a re-run of the 1960 election. No new major issues had arisen, and Labour continued to be damaged by the 'Black Budget
Black Budget (New Zealand)
In 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.The second Labour government took office in 1957, the 32nd Parliament...

' of 1958. Although five years had passed since the budget, its architect, Arnold Nordmeyer
Arnold Nordmeyer
Sir Arnold Henry Nordmeyer, ONZ, KCMG , born Heinrich Arnold Nordmeyer, was a New Zealand politician. He was leader of the Labour Party for three years while it was in Opposition.-Early life:...

, was now Labour Party leader following the retirement of Nash earlier in 1963. Voters continued to associate Nordmeyer, and therefore the party, with the unpopular budget. It is normal for governments to lose some support during their term, but National's share of the popular vote was only 0.5% less than in 1960, and it lost only one seat, retaining a majority of 10.

The 1966 election

Shortly before the 1966 election, Labour had replaced Nordmeyer as leader with Norman Kirk
Norman Kirk
Norman Eric Kirk was the 29th 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...

, but Kirk had insufficient time to consolidate his position and the party was damaged by this and division over economic policy. The main difference between the parties in terms of policy was commitment to the Vietnam War
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...

. The National government had committed a small number of troops, seeing support for American wars as a necessary payment for America's commitment (through the ANZUS
ANZUS
The Australia, New Zealand, United States Security Treaty is the military alliance which binds Australia and New Zealand and, separately, Australia and the United States to cooperate on defence matters in the Pacific Ocean area, though today the treaty is understood to relate to attacks...

 pact) to protect New Zealand. Labour was opposed to New Zealand involvement in the war and made troop recall a major platform. However the strongest anti-war sentiment was probably amongst young people, and at this stage the voting age was 21. The election resulted in National losing 3.5% of the popular vote, and one seat, to Social Credit
Social Credit Party (New Zealand)
The 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...

. This marked the first time since 1943 that a seat had been won by a party other than Labour or National.

The 1969 election

Before the 1969 election the voting age was lowered from 21 to 20, and the number of electorates was increased from 80 to 84, to reflect population growth. These changes seem to have benefited National, as its share of the popular vote rose by 1.6% and it regained the seat it had lost (Hobson
Hobson (New Zealand electorate)
-Population Centres:The electorate is in the Northland Region, and includes the following population centres:-History:The Hobson electorate existed from 1946 , to 1978 when the name reverted back to Bay of Islands...

) to Social Credit. This is a rare example of a government increasing its share of the vote while in power.

Defeat

Like Labour in 1960, National in 1972 appeared old, worn-out and out of touch. Holyoake's retirement in favour of deputy Jack Marshall
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 the 28th Prime Minister for most of 1972....

 did little to revitalise the party, as Marshall lacked the charisma of Labour leader Norman Kirk
Norman Kirk
Norman Eric Kirk was the 29th 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...

. The government was defeated less on any particular policy than on a general feeling that, as Labour's campaign material put it, it was time for a change.

Electoral results

Election Parliament Seats Total votes Percentage Gain (loss) Seats won Change Majority
1960
New Zealand general election, 1960
The 1960 New Zealand general election was a nationwide vote to determine the shape of the New Zealand Parliament's 33rd term. It saw the governing Labour Party defeated by the National Party, putting an end to the short second Labour government.-Background:...

33rd 80 1,170,503 47.6% +3.4% 46 +7 12
1963
New Zealand general election, 1963
The 1963 New Zealand general election was a nationwide vote to determine the shape of the New Zealand Parliament's 34th term. The results were almost identical to those for the previous election, and the governing National Party remained in office....

34th 80 1,198,045 47.1% -0.5% 45 -1 10
1966
New Zealand general election, 1966
The 1966 New Zealand general election was a nationwide vote to determine the shape of the New Zealand Parliament's 35th term. It saw the governing National Party win a third consecutive term in office...

35th 80 1,205,095 43.6% -3.5% 44 -1 8
1969
New Zealand general election, 1969
The 1969 New Zealand general election was a nationwide vote to determine the shape of the New Zealand Parliament's 36th term. It saw the governing National Party win a fourth consecutive term, under Prime Minister Keith Holyoake.-The Election:...

36th 84 45.2% +1.6% 45 +1 6
1972
New Zealand general election, 1972
The New Zealand general election of 1972 was held to elect MPs to the 37th session of the New Zealand Parliament. The Labour Party, led by Norman Kirk, defeated the governing National Party.-Background:...

37th 87 41.5% -7% 32 -13 -

Prime ministers

Keith Holyoake
Keith Holyoake
Sir 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...

 was Prime Minister
Prime Minister of New Zealand
The 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...

 for almost the entire term of this government, from 12 December 1960 until 7 February 1972 when he resigned. He was replaced by Jack Marshall
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 the 28th Prime Minister for most of 1972....

, with the terms of other ministers commencing on 9 February 1972. The Marshall Ministry stepped down on 8 December 1972.

Cabinet Ministers

> > > > > > > > > > > > > > > >
Ministry Minister Term(s)
Deputy Prime Minister
Deputy Prime Minister of New Zealand
The 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....

 
Jack Marshall
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 the 28th Prime Minister for most of 1972....

 
1960–1972
Robert Muldoon
Robert Muldoon
Sir Robert David "Rob" Muldoon, GCMG, CH served as the 31st Prime Minister of New Zealand from 1975 to 1984, as leader of the governing National Party. Muldoon had been a prominent member of the National party and MP for the Tamaki electorate for some years prior to becoming leader of the party...

 
1972
Attorney-General
Attorney-General (New Zealand)
The Attorney-General is a political office in New Zealand. It is simultaneously a ministerial position and an administrative office, and has responsibility for supervising New Zealand law and advising the government on legal matters...

 
Ralph Hanan
Ralph Hanan
Josiah Ralph Hanan known as Ralph Hanan was a New Zealand politician of the National Party.He represented the Invercargill electorate in Parliament from 1946 to 1969, and was a son of Josiah Hanan who had previously held the seat...

 
1960–1969
Jack Marshall
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 the 28th Prime Minister for most of 1972....

 
1969–1971
Dan Riddiford
Dan Riddiford
Daniel Johnston Riddiford was a New Zealand politician of the National Party.He was educated in the UK at Downside School, Somerset. In NZ he qualified as a solicitor, and was awarded the MC in World War II....

 
1971–1972
Roy Jack
Roy Jack
Sir Roy Emile Jack was a New Zealand politician of the National Party. He was Speaker of the House of Representatives from 1967 to 1972 and 1976 to 1977, and a cabinet minister....

 
1972
Minister of Defence
Minister of Defence (New Zealand)
The Minister of Defence is a minister in the government of New Zealand with responsibility for the New Zealand armed forces and the Ministry of Defence.The present Minister is Dr...

 
Dean Eyre
Dean Eyre
Dean Jack Eyre was a New Zealand politician of the National Party.He served as a cabinet minister, first under Sydney Holland as Minister of Customs, Defence, Housing and Industries & Commerce; then under Keith Holyoake as Minister of Defence, Police and Tourism...

 
1960–1966
David Thomson
David Spence Thomson
David Spence Thomson, MC was a New Zealand politician of the National Party.He was a dairy farmer, born in Stratford, the son of former Stratford mayor Percy Thomson....

 
1966–1972
Allan McCready
Allan McCready
Allan McCready was a New Zealand politician of the National Party.He represented the Otaki electorate in Parliament from 1960 to 1972, then the Manawatu electorate from 1972 to 1978, when he retired....

 
1972
Minister of Education
Minister of Education (New Zealand)
The Minister of Education is a minister in the government of New Zealand with responsibility for the country's schools, and is in charge of the Ministry of Education.The present Minister is Anne Tolley, a member of the National Party.-History:...

 
William Blair Tennent
William Blair Tennent
William Blair Tennent CBE , known as Blair Tennent, was a New Zealand politician of the National Party and a cabinet minister.-Early life:...

 
1960–1963
Arthur Kinsella
Arthur Kinsella
Arthur Ellis Kinsella QSO was a New Zealand politician of the National Party, and was a cabinet minister.Kinsella was Minister of Broadcasting from 1960 to 1963 in the Second National Government, overseeing the introduction of Television to New Zealand...

 
1963–1969
Brian Talboys
Brian Talboys
Sir Brian Edward Talboys, CH, KCB, AC, is a former 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...

 
1969–1972
Herbert Pickering
Herbert Pickering
Herbert Elmer Lorraine "Lorrie" Pickering, QSO was a New Zealand politician of the National Party, and was a cabinet minister.He was Minister of Education in the Second National Government in 1972....

 
1972
Minister of Finance
Minister of Finance (New Zealand)
The 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....

 
Harry Lake
Harry Lake
Harry Robson Lake , a New Zealand politician, served as Minister of Finance for six years in the second National government, in the 1960s...

 
1960–1967
Robert Muldoon
Robert Muldoon
Sir Robert David "Rob" Muldoon, GCMG, CH served as the 31st Prime Minister of New Zealand from 1975 to 1984, as leader of the governing National Party. Muldoon had been a prominent member of the National party and MP for the Tamaki electorate for some years prior to becoming leader of the party...

 
1967–1972
Minister of Foreign Affairs
Minister of Foreign Affairs (New Zealand)
The Minister of Foreign Affairs is a major ministerial portfolio in the government of New Zealand.The current Minister of Foreign Affairs is Murray McCully, who was National Party Spokeperson of Foreign Affairs and Shadow Minister of Foreign Affairs. There are also Associate Minister roles...

 
Keith Holyoake
Keith Holyoake
Sir 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...

 
1960–1972
Jack Marshall
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 the 28th Prime Minister for most of 1972....

 
1972
Minister of Health
Minister of Health (New Zealand)
The Minister of Health is a minister in the government of New Zealand with responsibility for the New Zealand Ministry of Health and the District Health Boards.The present Minister is Tony Ryall, a member of the National Party.-History:...

 
Norman Shelton
Norman Shelton
Norman Leslie Shelton, CBE was a New Zealand politician of the National Party.He represented the Rangitikei electorate from 1954 to 1972, when he retired....

 
1960–1962
Donald McKay
Donald Norman McKay
Donald Norman McKay was a New Zealand politician of the National Party. He was Minister of Health and Minister of Social Security in the Second National Government from 1962 to 1972....

 
1962–1972
Lance Adams-Schneider
Lance Adams-Schneider
Sir Lancelot Raymond "Lance" Adams-Schneider was a New Zealand politician of the National Party.He represented the Hamilton electorate from 1959 to 1969, and then the Waikato electorate from 1969 to 1981, when he retired....

 
1972
Minister of Justice
Minister of Justice (New Zealand)
The Minister of Justice is a minister in the government of New Zealand. The minister has responsibility for the formulation of justice policy and for the administration of law courts....

 
Ralph Hanan
Ralph Hanan
Josiah Ralph Hanan known as Ralph Hanan was a New Zealand politician of the National Party.He represented the Invercargill electorate in Parliament from 1946 to 1969, and was a son of Josiah Hanan who had previously held the seat...

 
1960–1969
Dan Riddiford
Dan Riddiford
Daniel Johnston Riddiford was a New Zealand politician of the National Party.He was educated in the UK at Downside School, Somerset. In NZ he qualified as a solicitor, and was awarded the MC in World War II....

 
1969–1972
Minister of Māori Affairs
Minister of Maori Affairs
The Minister of Māori Affairs is the minister of the New Zealand government with broad responsibility for government policy towards Māori, the first inhabitants of New Zealand. The current Minister of Māori Affairs is Dr. Pita Sharples.-Role:...

 
Ralph Hanan
Ralph Hanan
Josiah Ralph Hanan known as Ralph Hanan was a New Zealand politician of the National Party.He represented the Invercargill electorate in Parliament from 1946 to 1969, and was a son of Josiah Hanan who had previously held the seat...

 
1960–1969
Duncan MacIntyre
Duncan MacIntyre (New Zealand)
Brigadier-General Duncan MacIntyre, CMG, DSO, OBE, ED, PC was a New Zealand politician of the National Party. He served as Deputy Prime Minister from 1981 to 1984 under Prime Minister Robert Muldoon.-Member of Parliament:...

 
1969–1972
Minister of Railways
Minister of Railways (New Zealand)
The Minister of Railways was the minister in the government responsible for the New Zealand Railways Department 1895–1981, the New Zealand Railways Corporation 1981–1993, and New Zealand Rail Limited 1990–1993...

 
John McAlpine
John McAlpine
Sir John Kenneth McAlpine, KCMG was a New Zealand politician of the National Party. He was the Member of Parliament for Selwyn from 1946 to 1966, when he retired....

 
1960–1966
John Gordon
John Bowie Gordon
John Bowie Gordon , known as Peter Gordon, was a New Zealand politician of the National Party.He was the Member of Parliament for Clutha from 1960 to 1978, when he retired...

 
1966–1972

See also

  • Governments of New Zealand
    Governments of New Zealand
    The Government of New Zealand , formally Her Majesty's Government in New Zealand, is based on the Westminster system of responsible government...

  • New Zealand National Party
    New Zealand National Party
    The New Zealand National Party is the largest party in the New Zealand House of Representatives and in November 2008 formed a minority government with support from three minor parties.-Policies:...

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