1981 New Zealand general election

General election in New Zealand April 2024 April 2018 1981 New Zealand general election New Zealand parliamentary no 1978 New Zealand general election 1978 39th New Zealand Parliament 1984 New Zealand general election 1984 92 seats in the Parliament 47 1981 11 28 y members Robert Muldoon (blue background).jpg Robert Muldoon 9 July 1974 New Zealand National Party Tamaki 51 seats, 39.8% 50 47 3 698,508 38.8% 1.0% Bill Rowling, 1974 (crop).jpg Bill Rowling 6 September 1974 New Zealand Labour Party Tasman 40 seats, 40.4% 40 43 3 702,630 39.0% 1.4% Bruce Craig Beetham (cropped).jpg Bruce Beetham 14 May 1972 Social Credit Party (New Zealand) Rangitīkei 1 seat, 16.1% 2 2 372,056 20.7% 4.6% 1981 New Zealand general election.svg 350px Results by electorate, shaded by winning margin Prime Minister Subsequent Prime Minister Robert Muldoon Robert Muldoon New Zealand National Party New Zealand National Party The 1981 New Zealand general election, held on 28 November 1981, was a nationwide vote to determine the shape of the 40th New Zealand Parliament. It saw the governing National Party, led by Robert Muldoon, win a third term in office, but the opposition Labour Party, led by Bill Rowling, won the largest share of the votes cast. Social Credit also won over 20% of the vote – their best result ever – but received no new seats. This was also the highest ever vote a party other than Labour or National have ever received. This was the second consecutive election in which National lost the popular vote to Labour. More electorates were rural and right-leaning than urban and progressive, and therefore National benefitted under the first-past-the-post electoral system. That the unpopular Muldoon was able to continue to govern was a major catalyst for the growing public desire to reform New Zealand's electoral system. This happened within fifteen years, when the 1996 election was the first to use mixed-member proportional representation. Notable MPs first elected at this election include future Labour Party leader and mayor of Auckland Phil Goff, the first Māori Speaker of the House Peter Tapsell, future Finance Minister Michael Cullen, and future Prime Minister Helen Clark. Future Minister of Foreign Affairs and New Zealand First leader Winston Peters lost his seat of Hunua at this election to Colin Moyle of the Labour Party, whom Robert Muldoon had aggressively accused of being gay as part of a McCarthyist smear campaign in 1977. Background Before the election, the National Party governed with 50 seats, while the opposition Labour Party held 40 seats. The Social Credit Party held two seats (one of which they took from National in a 1980 by-election). The National Party had won a landslide victory in the 1975 election, then lost ground in the 1978 election, but remained in government. The style of Robert Muldoon's leadership was growing increasingly unpopular, both with his party and with the public, and there had been an abortive leadership challenge by Brian Talboys in 1980. Some commentators believed that the 1981 election would mark an end to Muldoon's government. The Labour Party was led by Bill Rowling, who had been leader of the party in the past two elections. While Rowling had performed poorly against Muldoon in 1975, and was generally viewed by the public as weak, he had gradually recovered a measure of public respect. In 1980, Rowling survived a leadership challenge by David Lange. In the 1978 election, Labour had won a plurality of the vote, but did not win a majority of the seats. Many believed that this time, Labour would manage to convert its support into seats, although that did prove not to be the case. Not all of Muldoon's opponents gave their support to Rowling and the Labour Party, however. The small Social Credit Party, New Zealand's "third party", was enjoying strong support, although the first-past-the-post electoral system made it difficult for them to win seats. After the 1980 East Coast Bays by-election, Social Credit support rose as high as 30% in opinion polls, but then declined.Calderwood 2010 1 Some pundits have since claimed that the Springbok Tour increased votes for National in provincial electorates, despite the tour not being seen as a major election issue. MPs retiring in 1981 Five National MPs and seven Labour MPs intended to retire at the end of the 39th Parliament. Party Name Electorate Term of office Date announced National Eric Holland Fendalton 1967–81 17 March 1980https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/CHP19800318.2.9 Mr Holland to vacate safe seat The Press 18 March 1980 1 Leo Schultz Hauraki 1969–81 22 April 1980 Colin McLachlan Selwyn 1966–81 1 April 1980https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/CHP19800402.2.10 Mr McLachlan to quit The Press 2 April 1980 1 Lance Adams-Schneider Waikato 1959–81 23 July 1980https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/CHP19800724.2.9 Minister not to stand The Press 24 July 1980 1 Brian Talboys Wallace 1957–81 9 December 1980https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/CHP19801210.2.2 Mr Talboys to step down The Press 10 December 1980 1 Labour Paraone Reweti Eastern Maori 1967–81 26 March 1981https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/CHP19810327.2.54 Labour loses two more The Press 27 March 1981 4 Ron Bailey Heretaunga 1960–81 12 December 1979https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/CHP19791213.2.100 Mr Bailey retiring The Press 13 December 1979 12 Warren Freer Mount Albert 1947–81 Before 17 May 1979https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/CHP19790517.2.22 Labour seating in House The Press 17 May 1979 3 Gordon Christie Napier 1966–81 Before 17 May 1979 Joe Walding Palmerston North 1967–751978–81 18 March 1981https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/CHP19810319.2.10 M.P.'s retirement National's gain? The Press 19 March 1981 1 Arthur Faulkner Roskill 1957–81 20 February 1981Shock move by MP Faulkner Auckland Star 20 February 1981 1 Bill Fraser St Kilda 1957–81 14 December 1979 Election day The election was held on 28 November. 2,034,747 people were registered to vote, and 91.4% turned out. That was a markedly higher turnout than recorded for the previous election, but as the official statistics for that election are regarded as highly misleading, the comparison is probably not valid. It is likely that turnout in the 1981 election was about the same as in the election before it. Results The 1981 election saw the National Party win 47 of the 92 seats in parliament, a drop of three from before the election (National lost Hunua, Kapiti, Miramar and Wellington Central but won Taupo). This meant that National kept its majority by only a single seat, which became highly problematic over the next parliamentary term. The Labour Party won 43 seats, a gain of three (Labour won Hunua, Kapiti, Miramar and Wellington Central but lost Taupo). The Social Credit Party managed to retain its two seats, East Coast Bays and Rangitikei. No party initially held a majority until a recount flipped the seat of Gisborne from Labour to National, which gave National a working majority of one.https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=840kAAAAIBAJ&sjid=drkFAAAAIBAJ&pg=1071%2C962458 Error gives Muldoon majority The Montreal Gazette 2 December 1981 116 5 April 2021 For the second election in a row, Labour won more votes than National, but fewer seats, allowing National to retain government despite not winning the popular vote. Social Credit won more than 20% of the popular vote but only two seats. This result, and that of 1978, contributed to New Zealand adopting the Mixed Member Proportional system of proportional representation in the 1990s. Detailed results right|Map of electorates. Party totals center Election resultsParty Candidates Total votes Percentage Seats wonNational92698,50838.7747Labour92702,63039.0143Social Credit92372,05620.652Mana Motuhake48,3320.46-Values173,4600.19-Independents6817,8970.98-Others395,0960.28-Total3381,801,30392 Votes summary Popular vote #ddd 600px 410px Labour New Zealand Labour Party 39.01 National New Zealand National Party 38.77 Social Credit Social Credit Party (New Zealand) 20.65 Mana Motuhake Mana Motuhake 0.46 Values Values Party 0.19 Independents Independent politician 0.98 Others #777777 0.28 Parliament seats #ddd 600px 410px National New Zealand National Party 51.09 Labour New Zealand Labour Party 46.74 Social Credit Social Credit Party (New Zealand) 2.17 Individual electorate results The tables below shows the results of the 1981 general election: Key New Zealand National Party New Zealand Labour Party Social Credit Party (New Zealand) Mana Motuhake Independent politician Electorate results for the 1981 New Zealand general electionNorton 1988 ? |- |colspan=8 style="background-color:#FFDEAD" | General electorates |- Albany Don McKinnon New Zealand National Party 1,964 Bryan Mockridge New Zealand Labour Party Ashburton Rob Talbot New Zealand National Party 3,655 John Srhoy New Zealand Labour Party Auckland Central Richard Prebble New Zealand Labour Party 6,614 Dorice Reid New Zealand National Party Avon Mary Batchelor New Zealand Labour Party 7,820 Colin McNicholl New Zealand National Party Awarua Rex Austin New Zealand National Party 2,341 Dick Fitzgerald New Zealand Labour Party Bay of Islands Neill Austin New Zealand National Party 864 Les Hunter Social Credit Party (New Zealand) Birkenhead Jim McLay New Zealand National Party true 2,104 Bill Smith New Zealand Labour Party Christchurch Central Geoffrey Palmer New Zealand Labour Party 7,028 Ian Wilson New Zealand National Party Clutha Robin Gray New Zealand National Party 661 Clive Matthewson New Zealand Labour Party Dunedin Central Brian MacDonell New Zealand Labour Party 4,169 Nancy Ruth KingGustafson 1986 371 New Zealand National Party Dunedin North Stan Rodger New Zealand Labour Party 4,733 Des Bleach New Zealand National Party East Cape Duncan MacIntyre New Zealand National Party 1,964 Peter Dey New Zealand Labour Party East Coast Bays Gary Knapp Social Credit Party (New Zealand) 758 Don Brash New Zealand National Party Eastern Hutt Trevor Young New Zealand Labour Party 5.011 Alex Duthie New Zealand National Party Eden Aussie Malcolm New Zealand National Party 117 Ian Scott New Zealand Labour Party Fendalton Eric Holland New Zealand National Party Philip Burdon New Zealand National Party 1,158 David CloseBohan 2004 67 New Zealand Labour Party Gisborne Bob Bell New Zealand National Party 150 Allan Wallbanknb Wallbank was first on election night for Gisborne, but lost on a recount. New Zealand Labour Party Hamilton East Ian Shearer New Zealand National Party 1,188 Lois Welch New Zealand Labour Party Hamilton West Mike Minogue New Zealand National Party 1,477 Paddy McCaffrey New Zealand Labour Party Hastings New Zealand Labour Party David Butcher 1,845 Hamish KynochGustafson 1986 371 New Zealand National Party |- | Hauraki | style="background-color:New Zealand National Party;" | | style="text-align:center;" | Leo Schultz | style="background-color:New Zealand National Party;" | | style="text-align:center;background-color:;" | Graeme Lee | style="text-align:right;" | 1,787 | style="background-color:Social Credit Party (New Zealand);" | | style="text-align:center;" | Gordon Miller |- Hawkes Bay Richard Harrison New Zealand National Party 2,430 Mike Cullen New Zealand Labour Party Helensville Dail Jones New Zealand National Party 216 Jack Elder New Zealand Labour Party Heretaunga Ron Bailey New Zealand Labour Party Bill Jeffries New Zealand Labour Party 2,233 Ronald Palmer New Zealand National Party Horowhenua Geoff Thompson New Zealand National Party 876 David Page New Zealand Labour Party Hunua Winston Peters New Zealand National Party Colin Moyle New Zealand Labour Party 996 Winston Peters New Zealand National Party Invercargill Norman Jones New Zealand National Party 1,592 Dougal Soper New Zealand Labour Party Island Bay Frank O'Flynn New Zealand Labour Party 3,938 Doug Catley New Zealand National Party Kaimai Bruce Townshend New Zealand National Party 5,146 Douglas Conway Social Credit Party (New Zealand) Kaipara Peter Wilkinson New Zealand National Party 1,029 Nevern Connachy Social Credit Party (New Zealand) Kapiti Barry Brill New Zealand National Party Margaret Shields New Zealand Labour Party 495 Barry Brill New Zealand National Party King Country Jim Bolger New Zealand National Party 2,158 Derek Mason Social Credit Party (New Zealand) Lyttelton Ann Hercus New Zealand Labour Party 3,892 Simon Stamers-Smith New Zealand National Party Manawatu Michael Cox New Zealand National Party 2,913 Dennis Kessell New Zealand Labour Party Mangere David Lange New Zealand Labour Party 5,806 John Pettit Social Credit Party (New Zealand) Manurewa New Zealand Labour Party Roger Douglas 2,815 Keith Ralph New Zealand National Party Marlborough Doug Kidd New Zealand National Party 1,643 Graeme Macann New Zealand Labour Party Matamata Jack Luxton New Zealand National Party 3,460 David Mawdsley Social Credit Party (New Zealand) Miramar Bill Young New Zealand National Party Peter Neilson New Zealand Labour Party 649 Bill Young New Zealand National Party Mount Albert Warren Freer New Zealand Labour Party Helen Clark New Zealand Labour Party 3,907 Warren W. Moyes New Zealand National Party Napier Gordon Christie New Zealand Labour Party Geoff Braybrooke New Zealand Labour Party 3,009 Kevin Rose New Zealand National Party Nelson Mel Courtneynb Courtney had withdrawn from the Labour caucus in March 1981. Independent politician Philip Woollaston New Zealand Labour Party 698 Mel Courtney Independent politician New Lynn Jonathan Hunt New Zealand Labour Party 4,874 Ron Hanson New Zealand National Party New Plymouth Tony Friedlander New Zealand National Party 1,567 Dennis Duggan New Zealand Labour Party North Shore George Gair New Zealand National Party 3,969 Peter Chambers New Zealand Labour Party Ohariu Hugh Templeton New Zealand National Party 1,567 Norman Ely New Zealand Labour Party Onehunga Fred Gerbic New Zealand Labour Party 2,012 Sue Wood New Zealand National Party Otago Warren Cooper New Zealand National Party 4,893 Bryan Griffiths New Zealand Labour Party Otahuhu Bob Tizard New Zealand Labour Party 5,164 Stuart McDowell New Zealand National Party Pahiatua John Falloon New Zealand National Party 7,569 Bill Sutton New Zealand Labour Party Pakuranga Pat Hunt New Zealand National Party 783 Neil Morrison Social Credit Party (New Zealand) Palmerston North Joe Walding New Zealand Labour Party Trevor de Cleene New Zealand Labour Party 2,110 Brian Elwood New Zealand National Party Papakura Merv Wellington New Zealand National Party 3,215 John Cheeseman Social Credit Party (New Zealand) Papanui Mike Moore New Zealand Labour Party 4,409 Brian Keeley New Zealand National Party Papatoetoe Eddie Isbey New Zealand Labour Party 1,689 Roy McKeen New Zealand National Party Pencarrow Fraser Colman New Zealand Labour Party 4,065 Willard Amaru New Zealand National Party Porirua Gerry Wall New Zealand Labour Party 3,639 Estelle Brittain Social Credit Party (New Zealand) Rangiora Derek Quigley New Zealand National Party 932 Chris Hayward New Zealand Labour Party Rangiriri Bill Birch New Zealand National Party 3,004 Roy Hayward New Zealand Labour Party Rangitikei Bruce Beetham Social Credit Party (New Zealand) 2,376 Paul Bardwell New Zealand National Party Remuera Allan Highet New Zealand National Party 5,105 Judith Tizard New Zealand Labour Party Roskill Arthur Faulkner New Zealand Labour Party Phil Goff New Zealand Labour Party 2,525 Cheryl Parsons New Zealand National Party Rotorua Paul East New Zealand National Party 1,544 Johnny W Lepper New Zealand Labour Party St Albans David Caygill New Zealand Labour Party 4,926 Jim Baker New Zealand National Party St Kilda Bill Fraser New Zealand Labour Party Michael Cullen New Zealand Labour Party 3,579 Stuart Clark New Zealand National Party Selwyn Colin McLachlan New Zealand National Party Ruth Richardson New Zealand National Party 2,129 Bill Woods New Zealand Labour Party Sydenham John Kirk New Zealand Labour Party 5,594 Richard Bach Social Credit Party (New Zealand) Tamaki Robert Muldoon New Zealand National Party 5,153 Richard Northey New Zealand Labour Party Taranaki David Thomson New Zealand National Party 4,470 Brian Heilihy Social Credit Party (New Zealand) Tarawera Ian McLean New Zealand National Party 2,442 Noel Scott New Zealand Labour Party Tasman Bill Rowling New Zealand Labour Party 2,246 Ted Krammer New Zealand National Party Taupo Jack Ridley New Zealand Labour Party Roger McClaynb McClay was declared elected by the High Court after an electoral petition. New Zealand National Party 36 Jack Ridley New Zealand Labour Party Tauranga Keith Allen New Zealand National Party 2,232 Paul Hills Social Credit Party (New Zealand) Te Atatu Michael Bassett New Zealand Labour Party 3,330 Stella Noble New Zealand National Party Timaru Sir Basil Arthur New Zealand Labour Party 1,850 Jane Coughlan New Zealand National Party Waikato Lance Adams-Schneider New Zealand National Party Simon Upton New Zealand National Party 4,661 Noel Johnston Social Credit Party (New Zealand) Waipa Marilyn Waring New Zealand National Party 2,768 John Kilbride Social Credit Party (New Zealand) Wairarapa Ben Couch New Zealand National Party 1,546 Tom Gemmell New Zealand Labour Party Waitakere Ralph Maxwell New Zealand Labour Party 2,883 Martin Gummer New Zealand National Party Waitaki Jonathan Elworthy New Zealand National Party 305 Jim Sutton New Zealand Labour Party Waitotara Venn Young New Zealand National Party 2,784 Sam Gray Social Credit Party (New Zealand) Wallace Brian Talboys New Zealand National Party Derek Angus New Zealand National Party 6,558 Owen Horton Social Credit Party (New Zealand) Wanganui Russell Marshall New Zealand Labour Party 1,668 Terry Heffernan Social Credit Party (New Zealand) Wellington Central Ken Comber New Zealand National Party Fran Wilde New Zealand Labour Party 1,283 Ken Comber New Zealand National Party West Coast Kerry Burke New Zealand Labour Party 4,406 Doug Truman New Zealand National Party Western Hutt John Terris New Zealand Labour Party 1,420 John Tanner New Zealand National Party Whangarei John Elliott New Zealand National Party John Banks New Zealand National Party 1,743 Maurice Penney New Zealand Labour Party Yaldhurst Mick Connelly New Zealand Labour Party 1,962 Margaret MurrayGustafson 1986 379 New Zealand National Party |- |colspan=8 style="background-color:#FFDEAD" | Māori electorates |- Eastern Maori Paraone Reweti New Zealand Labour Party Peter Tapsell New Zealand Labour Party 6,232 Albert Tahana Mana Motuhake Northern Maori Bruce Gregory New Zealand Labour Party 3,541 Matiu Rata Mana Motuhake Southern Maori Whetu Tirikatene-Sullivan New Zealand Labour Party 8,665 Amster Reedy Mana Motuhake Western Maori Koro Wētere New Zealand Labour Party 8,624 Eva Rickard Mana Motuhake |} Table footnotes: nb Summary of changes The seats of Hunua, Kapiti, Miramar and Wellington Central were won from incumbent National MPs by Labour challengers. The challengers in question were Colin Moyle, Margaret Shields, Peter Neilson and Fran Wilde, respectively. The defeated incumbents were Winston Peters, Barry Brill, Bill Young and Ken Comber, respectively. The seat of Taupo was won from the incumbent Labour MP by a National challenger. The challenger was Roger McClay and the defeated incumbent was Jack Ridley. The seats of Heretaunga, Mt. Albert, Napier, Palmerston North, Roskill, St. Kilda and Northern Maori passed from incumbent Labour MPs to new Labour MPs. In Nelson, Mel Courtney achieved the best result by an Independent candidate in a New Zealand election in nearly forty years. The seats of Fendalton, Hauraki, Selwyn and Whangarei passed from incumbent National MPs to new National MPs. Two of these changes were the result of MPs retiring, but two (in Selwyn and Whangarei) were the result of controversial challenges to the re-selection of the incumbents. In Selwyn, Ruth Richardson successfully challenged the re-nomination of incumbent Colin McLachlan, and in Whangarei, John Banks successfully challenged the re-nomination of incumbent John Elliott. Notes References Bohan Edmund https://books.google.com/books?id=ijCGmSeVp6AC Burdon: a man of our time Hazard Press 2004 978-1-877270-90-1 62718931 20 June 2015 David Calderwood M.A. Political Science https://researchcommons.waikato.ac.nz/bitstream/handle/10289/4268/thesis.pdf?sequence=1 Not a Fair Go: A History and Analysis of Social Credit's Struggle for Success in New Zealand's Electoral System University of Waikato PDF 2010 18 April 2015 Gustafson Barry Barry Gustafson The First 50 Years : A History of the New Zealand National Party 1986 Reed Methuen Auckland 0-474-00177-6 Norton Clifford New Zealand Parliamentary Election Results 1946–1987: Occasional Publications No 1, Department of Political Science 1988 Victoria University of Wellington Wellington 0-475-11200-8 Wilson Jim Jim Wilson (librarian) New Zealand Parliamentary Record, 1840–1984 4th First published in 1913 1985 V.R. Ward, Govt. Printer Wellington 154283103 Category:November 1981 in Oceania