1951 New Zealand general election

none April 2024 April 2018 1951 New Zealand general election New Zealand 1951 parliamentary no 1949 New Zealand general election 1949 29th New Zealand Parliament 1954 New Zealand general election 1954 31st New Zealand Parliament All 80 seats in the New Zealand Parliament 41 seats were needed for a majority 1951 09 01 y elected members 1,069,791 (89.1%) 200x200px Sidney Holland 26 November 1940 New Zealand National Party Fendalton 46 seats, 51.9% 50 4 577,630 54.0% 2.1% 200x200px Walter Nash 17 January 1951 New Zealand Labour Party Hutt 34 seats, 47.2% 30 4 490,143 45.8% 1.4% 1951 New Zealand general election - Results.svg 400px Results of the election. Prime Minister Subsequent Prime Minister Sidney Holland Sidney Holland New Zealand National Party New Zealand National Party The 1951 New Zealand general election was a nationwide vote to determine the shape of the New Zealand Parliament's 30th term. The First National Government was re-elected, with the National Party increasing its parliamentary majority over the opposition Labour Party. This was the last time until the 2020 that a party was elected to majority government of New Zealand by receiving a majority of the vote. Background The National Party had formed its first administration after the 1949 elections, in which it had ended four terms of government by the Labour Party.Wilson 1985 58 The National government, with Sidney Holland as Prime Minister, had undertaken a number of economic and constitutional reforms, although it had not seriously modified the new social welfare system which Labour had introduced. Labour's leader, Peter Fraser, had died in December 1950 after a long period of poor health, and had been replaced in January 1951 by Walter Nash. Nash had been Minister of Finance for the duration of the first Labour government.Wilson 1985 82–83 The most significant issue in the 1951 elections was the growing industrial unrest of the time, particularly the ongoing dockworkers dispute. Holland condemned the strikers, calling the situation "industrial anarchy". The Labour Party, under Nash, attempted to take a moderate position in the dispute, but ended up displeasing both sides. Holland, seeking a mandate to respond strongly to the strike, called a snap election. Another issue was high inflation, which frustrated voters and without the distraction of the strike, might have threatened Holland's government at the scheduled election for 1952.Gustafson Barry 5h30 Holland, Sidney George 30 October 2012 Barry Gustafson MPs retiring in 1951 Two MPs retired at the election, one each from Labour and National. Party Name Electorate Labour Bill Parry Arch Hill National Frederick Doidge Tauranga The election The date for the main 1951 elections was 1 September, and for the first time, elections to the four Maori seats were held on the same day.Wilson 1985 138 The 1951 elections were also the first under the new regulations which required elections to be held on a Saturday. 1,205,762 people were registered to vote, and turnout was 89.1%.Wilson 1985 286 The number of seats being contested was 80, a number which had been fixed since 1902.Wilson 1985 287–288 Results Party standings The 1951 election saw the governing National Party re-elected with a twenty-seat margin, a substantial improvement on the twelve-seat margin it previously held. National won fifty seats compared with the Labour Party's thirty.Wilson 1985 287–288 The popular vote was closer, however, with National winning 54% to Labour's 46%.Wilson 1985 290 No seats were won by minor party candidates or by independents.Wilson 1985 288 No party then captured a majority of the vote until the 2020 election, when Labour won 50.01%.Wilson 1985 290 center Election resultsPartyCandidatesTotal votesPercentageSeats wonchangeNew Zealand National PartyNational80577,63054.0050 +4 New Zealand Labour PartyLabour80490,14345.8030 −4 Communist Party of New ZealandCommunist45280.05 0 ±0 Independent politicianOthers 7 1,490 0.14 0 ±0Total 1711,069,79180 Votes summary Popular Vote #ddd 600px 410px National New Zealand National Party 54.00 Labour New Zealand Labour Party 45.80 Others #777777 0.20 Parliament seats #ddd 600px 410px National New Zealand National Party 62.50 Labour New Zealand Labour Party 37.50 Key New Zealand Labour Party New Zealand National Party Electorate results for the 1951 New Zealand general election The New Zealand Official Year-Book, 1951–52 http://www3.stats.govt.nz/New_Zealand_Official_Yearbooks/1951-52/NZOYB_1951-52.html Statistics New Zealand 19 November 2012 |- |colspan=8 style="background-color:#FFDEAD" | General electorates |- Arch Hill Bill Parry New Zealand Labour Party John Stewart New Zealand Labour Party 3,965 Paddy Hope New Zealand National Party Ashburton true Geoff Gerard New Zealand National Party 2,867 William Erle Rose New Zealand Labour Party Auckland Central true Bill Anderton New Zealand Labour Party 2,168 Peter Hillyer New Zealand National Party Avon true John Mathison New Zealand Labour Party 4,212 Douglas Warren Russell New Zealand National Party Awarua true George Herron New Zealand National Party 3,755 Neville Pickering New Zealand Labour Party Bay of Plenty true Bill Sullivan New Zealand National Party 4,047 Godfrey Santon New Zealand Labour Party Brooklyn true Arnold Nordmeyer New Zealand Labour Party 1,826 Charles William Clift New Zealand National Party Buller true Jerry Skinner New Zealand Labour Party 1,227 Phil McDonald New Zealand National Party Central Otago true William Bodkin New Zealand National Party 3,620 T A Rodgers New Zealand Labour Party Christchurch Central true Robert Macfarlane New Zealand Labour Party 4,103 Alma Schumacher New Zealand National Party Clutha true James Roy New Zealand National Party 3,583 J M Sanders New Zealand Labour Party Dunedin Central true Phil Connolly New Zealand Labour Party 373 Walter MacDougall New Zealand National Party Dunedin North true Robert Walls New Zealand Labour Party 307 Donald Cameron New Zealand National Party Eden true Wilfred Fortune New Zealand National Party 2,802 John Ronald Burfitt New Zealand Labour Party Egmont true Ernest Corbett New Zealand National Party 4,896 Brian Edgar Richmond New Zealand Labour Party Fendalton true Sidney Holland New Zealand National Party 4,366 Philip John Alley New Zealand Labour Party Franklin true Jack Massey New Zealand National Party 5,358 Arthur Faulkner New Zealand Labour Party Gisborne Reginald Keeling New Zealand Labour Party Harry Dudfield New Zealand National Party 338 Reginald Keeling New Zealand Labour Party Grey Lynn true Fred Hackett New Zealand Labour Party 3,813 Harold Barry New Zealand National Party Hamilton true Hilda Ross New Zealand National Party 2,252 Ben Waters New Zealand Labour Party Hastings true Sydney Jones New Zealand National Party 1,138 Henry Edward Beattie New Zealand Labour Party |- | Hauraki | style="background-color:New Zealand National Party;" | | colspan=3 style="text-align:center;background-color:;" | Andy Sutherland | style="text-align:right;" | 4,468 | style="background-color:New Zealand Labour Party;" | | style="text-align:center;" | Brevat William Dynes |- Hawke's Bay true Cyril Harker New Zealand National Party 4,153 A Lowe New Zealand Labour Party Hobson true Sidney Smith New Zealand National Party 5,337 Norman King New Zealand Labour Party Hurunui true William Gillespie New Zealand National Party 2,921 Ed Cassidy New Zealand Labour Party Hutt true Walter Nash New Zealand Labour Party 2,248 Jack Andrews New Zealand National Party Invercargill true Ralph Hanan New Zealand National Party 2,123 F G Spurdle New Zealand Labour Party Island Bay true Robert McKeen New Zealand Labour Party 1,680 James Duncan New Zealand National Party Karori true Charles Bowden New Zealand National Party 3,453 Jim Bateman New Zealand Labour Party Lyttelton Terry McCombs New Zealand Labour Party Harry Lake New Zealand National Party 133 Terry McCombsnote Terry McCombs was first on election night, but lost when special votes were included New Zealand Labour Party Manawatu true Matthew Oram New Zealand National Party 3,465 B A Rodgers New Zealand Labour Party Marlborough true Tom Shand New Zealand National Party 2,452 Ted Meachen New Zealand Labour Party Marsden true Alfred Murdoch New Zealand National Party 4,001 Mervyn Allan Hosking New Zealand Labour Party Miramar true Bob Semple New Zealand Labour Party 301 Cuthbert Taylor New Zealand National Party Mornington true Wally Hudson New Zealand Labour Party 3,783 Richard Philling New Zealand National Party Mount Albert true Warren Freer New Zealand Labour Party 604 Reg Judson New Zealand National Party Mount Victoria true Jack Marshall New Zealand National Party 2,198 Frank Kitts New Zealand Labour Party Napier Tommy Armstrong New Zealand Labour Party Peter Tait New Zealand National Party 44 Tommy Armstrongnote Tommy Armstrong was first on election night, but lost when special votes were included New Zealand Labour Party Nelson true Edgar Neale New Zealand National Party 2,831 Stan Whitehead New Zealand Labour Party New Plymouth true Ernest Aderman New Zealand National Party 2,335 Clarence Robert Parker New Zealand Labour Party North Shore true Dean Eyre New Zealand National Party 2,155 Richard Wrathall New Zealand Labour Party Oamaru true Thomas Hayman New Zealand National Party 1,315 C J Ryan New Zealand Labour Party Onehunga true Arthur Osborne New Zealand Labour Party 1,966 Leonard Bradley New Zealand National Party Onslow Harry Combs New Zealand Labour Party 1,106 John S MeadowcroftGustafson 1986 378 New Zealand National Party Otahuhu true Leon Götz New Zealand National Party 2,128 James Deas New Zealand Labour Party Otaki true Jimmy Maher New Zealand National Party 1,142 Phil Holloway New Zealand Labour Party Pahiatua true Keith Holyoake New Zealand National Party 4,598 Owen Jones New Zealand Labour Party Palmerston North true Blair Tennent New Zealand National Party 200 Joe Hodgensnote Joe Hodgens was first on election night, but lost when special votes were included New Zealand Labour Party Parnell true Duncan Rae New Zealand National Party 1,587 Hugh WattNorton 1988 314 New Zealand Labour Party Patea true William Sheat New Zealand National Party 2,467 Frederick William Finer New Zealand Labour Party Petone true Mick Moohan New Zealand Labour Party 2,135 Norm Croft New Zealand National Party Piako true Stan Goosman New Zealand National Party 6,364 Gilbert Parsons Kenah New Zealand Labour Party Ponsonby Ritchie Macdonald New Zealand Labour Party 1,504 Peter DempseyGustafson 1986 360f New Zealand National Party Raglan true Hallyburton Johnstone New Zealand National Party 1,766 James Harrison Wilson New Zealand Labour Party Rangitikei true Edward Gordon New Zealand National Party 3,677 F A Dalzell New Zealand Labour Party Remuera true Ronald Algie New Zealand National Party 5,346 Bob Tizard New Zealand Labour Party Riccarton Angus McLagan New Zealand Labour Party 2,265 Eric Philip WillsGustafson 1986 390 New Zealand National Party Rodney true Clifton Webb New Zealand National Party 4,893 Arthur Laurence Leaming New Zealand Labour Party Roskill true John Rae New Zealand National Party 440 Pat Curran New Zealand Labour Party St Albans true Jack Watts New Zealand National Party 1,415 John Bernard Mora New Zealand Labour Party St Kilda Fred Jones New Zealand Labour Party Jim Barnes New Zealand National Party 336 Fred Jones New Zealand Labour Party Selwyn true John McAlpine New Zealand National Party 1,836 Jim Barclay New Zealand Labour Party Sydenham true Mabel Howard New Zealand Labour Party 4,403 Albert Hugh Stott New Zealand National Party Tamaki true Eric Halstead New Zealand National Party 1,461 Tom Skinner New Zealand Labour Party Tauranga Frederick Doidge New Zealand National Party George Walsh New Zealand National Party 5,400 Hillary Joseph Pickett New Zealand Labour Party Timaru true Clyde Carr New Zealand Labour Party 564 William Leslie Richards New Zealand National Party Waikato true Geoffrey Sim New Zealand National Party 6,369 William Henry Bayly New Zealand Labour Party Waimarino true Paddy Kearins New Zealand Labour Party 67 Arthur MacPherson New Zealand National Party Waimate true David Kidd New Zealand National Party 2,232 A G Braddick New Zealand Labour Party Wairarapa true Bert Cooksley New Zealand National Party 2,032 George Anders Hansen New Zealand Labour Party Waitakere true Rex Mason New Zealand Labour Party 641 Robert Tapper New Zealand National Party Waitomo true Walter Broadfoot New Zealand National Party 5,286 J Dwyer New Zealand Labour Party Wallace true Tom Macdonald New Zealand National Party 5,060 J W Cleary New Zealand Labour Party Wanganui true Joe Cotterill New Zealand Labour Party 226 Ernest Victor O'Keefe New Zealand National Party Wellington Central true Charles Chapman New Zealand Labour Party 277 Berta Burns New Zealand National Party Westland true Jim Kent New Zealand Labour Party 2,325 Isabella Catherine Brown New Zealand National Party |- |colspan=8 style="background-color:#FFDEAD" | Māori electorates |- Eastern Maori true Tiaki Omana New Zealand Labour Party 3,706 Turi Carroll New Zealand National Party Northern Maori true Tapihana Paikea New Zealand Labour Party 2,132 James HenareGustafson 1986 247 New Zealand National Party Southern Maori true Eruera Tirikatene New Zealand Labour Party 659 William Beaton New Zealand National Party Western Maori true Iriaka Rātana New Zealand Labour Party 7,352 Hoeroa Marumaru New Zealand National Party |} Table footnotes: note Notes References 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 ed. published 1913 1985 V.R. Ward, Govt. Printer Wellington 154283103