1990 New Zealand Labour Party leadership election

New Zealand party leadership election April 2024 April 2022 1990 New Zealand Labour Party leadership election File:New Zealand Labour Party logo (Mid 1960s–early 1990s).svg legislative no 1989 New Zealand Labour Party leadership election 1989 1993 New Zealand Labour Party leadership election 1993 4 September 1990 56 New Zealand Labour Party members of the New Zealand Parliament29 members needed to win File:Mike Moore 1992 (further cropped).jpg Mike Moore New Zealand Labour Party Christchurch North 41 73.21% File:Richard Northey 1999 (cropped).jpg Richard Northey New Zealand Labour Party Eden 15 26.79% Leader Geoffrey Palmer Mike Moore The 1990 New Zealand Labour Party leadership election was held on 4 September to determine the leadership of the New Zealand Labour Party. The leadership was won by Christchurch North MP Mike Moore. Background By 1990 the Labour Party had been torn apart by internal frictions between the supporters of Rogernomics (open market free trade policy) and those still favouring Labour's traditional protectionist fiscal policies. There had been two leadership challenges in the past 12 months with opponents of Rogernomics being successful. However Labour's popularity had fallen further still due to the increasing public outrage over the reforms. After seeing off a challenge from Roger Douglas in 1988, David Lange had resigned mid-1989 and replaced with Geoffrey Palmer who, while respected, was unpopular. Palmer was persuaded to step aside in favour of a more suitable candidate more capable of lessening the damage of what was already being predicted as a certain defeat for Labour.Franks McAloon 2016 224 Candidates Mike Moore Moore was one of the senior cabinet ministers in the government and was ranked third in Labour's caucus. He was a supporter of the Rogernomics reforms, albeit less radical. As a result he was seen as a more acceptable alternative leader to both Douglas and his supporters as well as critics of Douglas. He had previously stood for the leadership in 1989 against Palmer but was defeated.Bassett 2008 509 Richard Northey Northey, an MP serving since 1984, was a surprise candidate to most. He was the sitting member for Eden and was not a member of cabinet. Many saw his candidature as merely token and he was viewed as a stalking horse like figure. Result A caucus vote was held on 4 September 1990 in which Moore was successful.Bassett 2008 536 Helen Clark, Palmer's deputy leader retained her position despite the change in leaders. Leadership ballot +1990 New Zealand Labour Party leadership electionCandidate Votes % New Zealand Labour Party Mike Moore4173.21 New Zealand Labour Party Richard Northey1526.79 Total56100.00 New Zealand Labour Party Mike Moore elected leader Aftermath Moore would lead Labour until he himself was defeated as leader in 1993 by his deputy Helen Clark. He served as prime minister for 8 weeks before going on to lose the next election in a landslide, and narrowly lose in 1993. Northey lost his seat in the 1990 election, but returned in 1993 only to be defeated again in 1996. Palmer later stated he had been prepared to lead the party to a likely defeat but was just as happy to step aside "I was actually pretty pleased to get out at the end of 1990. I was quite happy to run through as PM and take the defeat, but if other people wanted to do it — be my guest"!Russell 1996 216 Notes nb 30em References Bassett Michael Michael Bassett Working with David: Inside the Lange Cabinet 2008 Hodder Moa Auckland 978-1-86971-094-1 Franks Peter McAloon Jim Labour: The New Zealand Labour Party 1916-2016 2016 Victoria University Press Wellington 978-1-77656-074-5 Russell Marcia Marcia Russell Revolution: New Zealand from Fortress to Free Market Hodder Moa Beckett 1996 1869584287 Labour Party leadership 1990 New Zealand Labour Party leadership election