List of parliaments of New Zealand
This page is a list of elections and their subsequent parliamentary makeups in New Zealand. After the adoption of the New Zealand Constitution Act 1852, which granted New Zealand self-governance, New Zealand has had a parliamentary system, with its first election in 1853. For a government to form, they must obtain the confidence of a majority of the elected MPs in Parliament. Initially, governments were formed through bargaining with individual MPs, however after the introduction of political parties in 1890, confidence was brokered through these parties when required.
Until the introduction of MMP in the 1996 election, electors voted only for their electorate MP; thereafter, party politics was formalised and third parties became viable, with electors now voting for both an electorate MP and a specific (and possibly unrelated) party. MMP changed the makeup of parliament such that outright majorities now became rare and parties had to regularly broker coalitions or confidence agreements to form governments.
Key
Table
The following table lists all general elections held in New Zealand, displaying the dates of the elections, the officially recorded voter turnout, and the number of seats in Parliament each party won.[1][2] Note that elections for Māori seats initially took place separately from elections for general seats.
Parliament | Election | Date | Turnout | Government makeup | Elected seats | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
General | Māori | |||||||
First past the post (FPP) period | ||||||||
1st | 1853 | 14 Jul – 1 Oct |
— | — | Independent | 37: In 37 | ||
2nd | 1855 | 26 Oct – 28 Dec |
— | — | Independent | 37: In 37 | ||
3rd | 1860/61 | 12 Dec – 28 Mar |
— | — | Independent | 53: In 53 | ||
4th | 1866 | 12 Feb – 6 Apr |
15 Apr – 20 Jun |
— | Independent | 70: In 70 | ||
5th | 1871 | 14 Jan – 23 Feb |
— | — | Independent | 78: In 78 | ||
6th | 1875/76 | 20 Dec – 29 Jan |
4/15 Jan | — | Independent | 88: In 88 | ||
7th | 1879 | 28 Aug – 15 Sep |
8 Sep | 66.5% | Independent | 88: In 88 | ||
8th | 1881 | 8 Dec | 9 Dec | 66.5% | Independent | 95: In 95 | ||
9th | 1884 | 21 Jul | 22 Jul | 60.6% | Independent | 95: In 95 | ||
10th | 1887 | 7 Sep | 26 Sep | 67.1% | Independent | 95: In 95 | ||
11th | 1890 | 27 Nov | 5 Dec | 80.4% | Liberal | 74: Li 40 Co 25 In 9 | ||
12th | 1893 | 28 Nov | 20 Dec | 75.2% | Liberal | 74: Li 51 Co 13 In 10 | ||
13th | 1896 | 4 Dec | 19 Dec | 76.1% | Liberal | 74: Li 39 Co 26 In 9 | ||
14th | 1899 | 6 Dec | 19 Dec | 77.6% | Liberal | 74: Li 49 Co 19 In 6 | ||
15th | 1902 | 5 Nov | 22 Dec | 76.7% | Liberal | 80: Li 47 Co 19 In 14 | ||
16th | 1905 | 6 Dec | 20 Dec | 83.3% | Liberal | 80: Li 58 Co 16 In 4 _ 2 | ||
Two-round system period | ||||||||
17th | 1908 | 17 Nov – 1 Dec |
2 Dec | 79.8% | Liberal | 80: Li 50 Co 26 _ 1 In 3 | ||
18th | 1911 | 7/14 Dec | 19 Dec | 83.5% | Liberal-led[fn 1] | 80: Re 37 Li 33 In 6 _ 4 | ||
Reform[fn 1] | ||||||||
Return to FPP | ||||||||
19th | 1914 | 10 Dec | 11 Dec | 84.7% | Reform | 80: Re 40 Li 34 _ 5 In 1 | ||
20th |
1919 | 16 Dec | 17 Dec | 80.5% | Reform | 80: Re 45 Li 19 La 8 In 8 | ||
21st | 1922 | 6 Dec | 7 Dec | 88.7% | Reform | 80: Re 37 Li 22 La 17 In 4 | ||
22nd | 1925 | 3 Nov | 4 Nov | 90.9% | Reform | 80: Re 55 La 12 Li 11 In 2 | ||
23rd | 1928 | 13 Oct | 14 Oct | 88.1% | United | 80: Un 27 Re 27 La 19 In 6 Co 1 | ||
24th | 1931 | 1 Dec | 2 Dec | 83.3% | United–Reform | 80: Re 28 La 24 Un 19 In 8 Co 1 | ||
25th |
1935 | 26 Nov | 27 Nov | 90.8% | Labour | 80: La 53 Re 9 Un 7 In 7 Co 2 _ 2 | ||
26th | 1938 | 14 Oct | 15 Oct | 92.9% | Labour | 80: La 53 Na 25 In 2 | ||
27th |
1943 | 24 Sep | 25 Sep | 82.8% | Labour | 80: La 45 Na 34 In 1 | ||
28th | 1946 | 26 Nov | 27 Nov | 93.5% | Labour | 80: La 42 Na 38 | ||
29th | 1949 | 29 Nov | 30 Nov | 93.5% | National | 80: Na 46 La 34 | ||
30th |
1951 | 1 Sep | 89.1% | National | 80: Na 50 La 30 | |||
31st | 1954 | 13 Nov | 91.4% | National | 80: Na 45 La 35 | |||
32nd | 1957 | 30 Nov |
92.9% | Labour | 80: La 41 Na 39 | |||
33rd | 1960 | 26 Nov |
89.8% | National | 80: Na 46 La 34 | |||
34th | 1963 | 30 Nov |
89.6% | National | 80: Na 45 La 35 | |||
35th | 1966 | 26 Nov |
86.0% | National | 80: Na 44 La 35 Sc 1 | |||
36th | 1969 | 29 Nov |
88.9% | National | 84: Na 45 La 39 | |||
37th | 1972 | 25 Nov |
89.1% | Labour | 87: La 55 Na 32 | |||
38th | 1975 | 29 Nov |
82.5% | National | 87: Na 55 La 32 | |||
39th | 1978 | 25 Nov |
69.2%[fn 7] | National | 92: Na 51 La 40 Sc 1 | |||
40th | 1981 | 28 Nov |
91.4% | National | 92: Na 47 La 43 Sc 2 | |||
41st |
1984 | 14 Jul | 93.7% | Labour | 95: La 56 Na 37 Sc 2 | |||
42nd | 1987 | 15 Aug | 89.1% | Labour | 97: La 57 Na 40 | |||
43rd | 1990 | 27 Oct | 85.2% | National | 97: Na 67 La 29 _ 1 | |||
44th | 1993 | 6 Nov | 85.2% | National-led | 99: Na 50 La 45 Al 2 Fi 2 | |||
MMP era | ||||||||
45th |
1996 | 12 Oct | 88.3% | National-led | 120: Na 44 La 37 Fi 17 Al 13 Ac 8 _ 1 | |||
46th | 1999 | 27 Nov |
84.1% | Labour-led | 120: La 49 Na 39 Al 10 Ac 9 Gr 7 Fi 5 _ 1 | |||
47th |
2002 | 27 Jul | 77.0% | Labour-led | 120: La 52 Na 27 Fi 13 Ac 9 Gr 9 Uf 8 Pr 2 | |||
48th | 2005 | 17 Sep | 80.9% | Labour-led | 121: La 50 Na 48 Fi 7 Gr 6 Mi 4 Uf 3 Ac 2 Pr 1 | |||
49th | 2008 | 8 Nov | 78.7% | National-led | 122: Na 58 La 43 Gr 9 Mi 5 Ac 5 Uf 1 Pr 1 | |||
50th | 2011 | 26 Nov |
74.2% | National-led | 121: Na 59 La 34 Gr 14 Fi 8 Mi 3 Ac 1 Uf 1 _ 1 | |||
51st | 2014 | 20 Sep | 77.9% | National-led | 121: Na 60 La 32 Gr 14 Fi 11 Mi 2 Ac 1 Uf 1 | |||
52nd | 2017 | 23 Sep | 79.8% | Labour-led | 120: Na 56 La 46 Fi 9 Gr 8 Ac 1 | |||
53rd | 2020 | 17 Oct | 82.5% | Labour | 120: La 65 Na 33 Gr 10 Ac 10 Mi 2 | |||
54th | 2023 | 14 Oct | 78.2% | National-led | 123: Na 49 La 34 Gr 15 Ac 11 Fi 8 Mi 6 |
Statistics
![]() | This section needs expansion with: more parties. You can help by adding to it. (October 2021) |
Current parties
Party | Created | Age | In Parliament | In Government | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
First year | Latest year | Terms |
First year | Latest year | Terms | ||||
Labour | 7 July 1916 | 108 | 1919 | 2024 | 34 | 1935 | 2024 | 13 | |
National | 14 May 1936 | 88 | 1936 | 2024 | 28 | 1949 | 2017 | 16 | |
Green | 26 May 1990 | 34 | 1997 | 2024 | 8 | ||||
NZ First | 18 July 1993 | 31 | 1993 | 2024 | 8 | ||||
ACT | 1994 | 29–30 | 1996 | 2024 | 9 | ||||
Māori Party | 7 July 2004 | 20 | 2004 | 2024 | 5 |
Defunct parties
Party | Created | Dissolved | Age | In Parliament | In Government | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
First year | Latest year | Terms |
First year | Latest year | Terms | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Liberal | 1889 | 17 September 1928 | 38–39 | 1890 | 1928 | 11 | 1890 | 1912 | 7 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Reform | 11 February 1909 | 14 May 1936 | 26–27 | 1911 | 1936 | 8 | 1912 | 1935 | 5 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
United | 17 September 1928 | 14 May 1936 | 8–9 | 1928 | 1936 | 3 | 1928 | 1935 | 2 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
As of 2021[update] |
![]() | Graphs are unavailable due to technical issues. There is more info on Phabricator and on MediaWiki.org. |
source [3]
References
- ^ a b "1853-2020 general elections: Overview". Vote.nz. Electoral Commission.
- ^ "1890–1993 general elections: Overview". Vote.nz. Electoral Commission.
- ^ "2020 GENERAL ELECTION - OFFICIAL RESULTS AND STATISTICS". ElectionResults.govt.nz. Electoral Commission. 30 November 2020.
Footnotes
- ^ a b The Liberal Party lost their majority in the 1911 election; however, due to the lack of a majority, they were able to stay in power with the support of independents until a vote of no confidence resulted in the formation of the Reform Government in 1912.
- ^ Delayed due to World War I.
- ^ Delayed in hopes of better economic conditions.
- ^ Delayed due to World War II.
- ^ Snap election due to waterfront strike.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k General election held on last Saturday of November.
- ^ Due to major problems with the enrolment process, commentators generally consider that the 1978 election had a significantly higher turnout than official figures indicate.[1]
- ^ Muldoon's snap election.
- ^ Called early to circumvent a by-election in Hawkes Bay.
- ^ Clark's snap election.
- ^ a b c d Counts the number of times the party was elected to Parliament.