1987 New Zealand general election

General election in New Zealand February 2017 May 2024 1987 New Zealand general election New Zealand parliamentary no 1984 New Zealand general election 1984 41st New Zealand Parliament 1990 New Zealand general election 1990 All 97 seats in the House of Representatives 49 1987 8 15 yes elected members David Lange (1992).jpg 140 120 160 5 10 David Lange 3 February 1983 New Zealand Labour Party Mangere 56 seats, 42.98% 55 57 1 878,448 47.96% 4.98% Jim Bolger, EC 1991.jpg 135 120 160 0 8 Jim Bolger 26 March 1986 New Zealand National Party King Country 37 seats, 35.89% 38 40 3 806,305 44.02% 8.13% 3x4.svg 140 120 160 0 11 Neil Morrison 23 August 1986 New Zealand Democratic Party Pakuranga (lost seat) 2 seats, 7.63% 2 0 2 105,091 5.74% 1.89% 1987 New Zealand general election.svg 350px Results by electorate, shaded by winning margin Prime Minister Subsequent Prime Minister David Lange New Zealand Labour Party David Lange New Zealand Labour Party The 1987 New Zealand general election was a nationwide vote to determine the shape of the 42nd sitting of the New Zealand Parliament. The governing New Zealand Labour Party, led by Prime Minister David Lange, was re-elected for a second term, although the Opposition National Party made gains. The election also saw the elimination of the Democratic Party (formerly the Social Credit Party) from Parliament, leaving Labour and National as the only parties represented. 1987 marked the first time that a Labour Government had been reelected to a second term since 1938, and the first to be reelected overall since 1946. This was in spite of the fact that this was the fourth consecutive election in which Labour won the popular vote by taking a plurality (but not a majority) of the votes. Background Before the election, the Labour Party (in government) held 56 seats, giving it an absolute majority in Parliament. The National Party (in opposition) held 37 seats. The Democrats, a small party devoted to the principles of Social Credit, held two seats. The 1985 Timaru by-election, triggered by the death of sitting MP Sir Basil Arthur had resulted in National winning the seat from Labour. Of particular importance in the election were the economic reforms being undertaken by Roger Douglas, the Minister of Finance. These reforms, sometimes known as "Rogernomics", involved monetarist approaches to controlling inflation, corporatisation of government departments, and the removal of tariffs and subsidies. All these things were strongly opposed by many traditional Labour supporters, who saw them as a betrayal of the party's left-wing principles. Many commentators believed that public anger over Rogernomics could cost the government the election. Another matter of importance, and perhaps one which enabled Labour to survive public dissatisfaction, was the nuclear issue. In the previous parliamentary term, New Zealand had adopted the New Zealand Nuclear Free Zone, Disarmament, and Arms Control Act, which prevented nuclear weapons or nuclear-powered ships entering New Zealand, a move which provoked an angry reaction from New Zealand's allies in the ANZUS treaty. The National Party intended to revoke the ban, but the New Zealand public were supportive of it. Labour's support for the ban is often considered to be an important factor in the party's re-election.Vowles Jack Nuclear free New Zealand and rogernomics: The survival of a labour government Australian Journal of Political Science May 1990 25 1 81–91 10.1080/00323269008402107 en 1036-1146 National was also bitterly divided, with some supporting the Rogernomics reforms, but MPs such as former Prime Minister Robert Muldoon bitterly opposed. Muldoon had undermined his successor as party leader, Jim McLay, who was replaced by his deputy Jim Bolger in 1986. Bolger was more centrist, but National still struggled to be seen as an alternative government. Lange famously mocked Bolger as "an itinerant masseur, massaging the politically erogenous zones."NZ politicians' best and worst insults https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/election/2017/08/nz-politicians-best-and-worst-insults.html https://web.archive.org/web/20170810155859/http://www.newshub.co.nz/home/election/2017/08/nz-politicians-best-and-worst-insults.html dead 10 August 2017 13 May 2024 Newshub en Several groups on the Christian Right (such as the Society for the Protection of Unborn Children (SPUC), Coalition of Concerned Citizens (CCC) and Women for Life) attempted to obtain electoral influence by infiltrating the National Party. They attempted to select socially conservative Christians as candidates to oppose the Labour government's policies towards peace education, sex education, abortion, Māori biculturalism, and the ANZUS alliance. Several CCC supporters contested the election as National candidates, including Rob Wheeler (Mount Albert), Andrew Stanley (Onehunga), and Howard Martin (Papatoetoe). However, the efforts met little electoral success as none were elected.Jesson Bruce Bruce Jesson Allanah Ryan Paul Spoonley Paul Spoonley Revival of the Right: New Zealand Politics in the 1980s 1st Heinemann Reed 1988 82–84 Chapter 4: Remoralising Politics 0-7900-0003-2 MPs retiring in 1987 Six National MPs and six Labour MPs intended to retire at the end of the 41st Parliament. Party Name Electorate Date announced National Rob Talbot Ashburton 29 January 1985https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/CHP19850131.2.12 Mr Elworthy has eyes on Ashburton The Press 31 January 1985 2 Rex Austin Awarua 2 October 1985https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/CHP19851003.2.6 National M.P. to leave The Press 3 October 1985 1 Neill Austin Bay of Islands 29 October 1986https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/CHP19861030.2.5 National M.P. dumped from safe seat The Press 30 October 1986 1 Jim McLay Birkenhead 4 August 1986https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/CHP19860805.2.2 Mr McLay to quit politics at election The Press 5 August 1986 1 Norman Jones Invercargill 23 March 1987https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/CHP19870324.2.10 Mr Jones to stand down The Press 24 March 1987 1 Jack Luxton Matamata 5 February 1986https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/CHP19860206.2.22 Mr Luxton to retire The Press 6 February 1986 2 Labour Mary Batchelor Avon 19 June 1986Patricia Herbert https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/CHP19860620.2.10 Mrs Batchelor to step down The Press 20 June 1986 1 Frank O'Flynn Island Bay 13 March 1986https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/CHP19860314.2.6 Mr O’Flynn to retire The Press 14 March 1986 2 Ann Hercus Lyttelton 21 April 1987Peter Luke https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/CHP19870422.2.2 Personal price too great, says Mrs Hercus The Press 22 April 1987 1 Eddie Isbey Papatoetoe 17 February 1987Bassett 2008 253Oliver Riddell https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/CHP19870217.2.26 Dr Wall not eligible to stand again—council The Press 17 February 1987 3 Fraser Colman Pencarrow 24 February 1987Oliver Riddell https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/CHP19870225.2.15 Mr Colman says he will retire The Press 25 February 1987 2 Gerry Wall Porirua 23 April 1987https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/CHP19870424.2.23 Dr Wall decides to accept retirement The Press 24 April 1987 3 Electoral changes The 1987 electoral redistribution took the continued population growth in the North Island into account, and two additional general electorates were created, bringing the total number of electorates to 97. In the South Island, the shift of population to Christchurch had continued.McRobie 1989 127f Overall, three electorates were newly created (Clevedon, Maramarua, and Titirangi), three electorates were recreated (Albany, Coromandel, and Hobson), and four electorates were abolished (Franklin, Hauraki, Rodney, and Waitakere). All of those electorates were in the North Island. Changes in the South Island were restricted to boundary changes.McRobie 1989 123–128 Election day The election was held on 15 August, and 2,114,656 people were registered to vote.http://www.elections.org.nz/record/resultsdata/elections-dates-turnout.html General elections 1853–2005 – dates & turnout Chief Electoral Office 19 July 2009 dead https://web.archive.org/web/20081017191904/http://www1.elections.org.nz/record/resultsdata/elections-dates-turnout.html 17 October 2008 Turnout was 89.1%, somewhat lower than the 1984 election. Results The election saw the Labour Party win 57 seats, enough for it to retain its outright majority. Labour held two more seats than after the previous election. The National Party won 40 seats, an increase of three. It was possible for both parties to increase their number of seats partly due to the disappearance of the Democrats and partly due to the increase in the total number of seats. This is the most recent election where only the two major parties, Labour and National won every seat in the House of Representatives. Although Labour emerged from the election with a 17-seat lead over National, the difference between each party's vote count was considerably smaller. Labour's share of the vote was 48.0% (up from 43.0% in 1984), while National's was 44.0% (up from 35.5%). While Labour did retain its lead, the gap between Labour and National closed by a larger extent than the seat count would indicate. The Democrats, despite winning 5.7% of the total vote, did not win any electorates, including the two that they had held before the election. The Democrats have not regained parliamentary representation under their own name since losing it in these elections, although they did manage to enter parliament as part of the larger Alliance in 1996. The New Zealand Party, which had gained 12.2% of the vote in the previous election, performed poorly, gaining less than 0.3% support.Collapse is Not End – NZ Party The New Zealand Herald 17 August 1987 3 During the campaign, party founder Bob Jones endorsed Labour, sending out pamphlets across the country urging those who supported the New Zealand Party in 1984 to vote for the Labour Party whom he saw as likely to enact New Zealand Party policies.Jones tells NZP 'vote Labour' The Evening Post 11 August 1987 39 Electoral petition The election night result for Wairarapa was for National by 65 votes. The final official count later gave the seat to the incumbent, Reg Boorman of the Labour Party, by a margin of seven votes, but a judicial recount reduced that to only one vote. But on 12 July 1988, following a petition to the Electoral Court, Wyatt Creech of the National Party was declared elected by a margin of 34 votes (9,994 to 9,960). The petition was supported initially by MPs Roger McClay and Winston Peters (who had been involved in challenges in Taupo and Hunua) but not by the party hierarchy, according to Creech's account in a book by Ross Meurant).Meurant 1989 181–198 Detailed results Party totals center Election resultsParty Candidates Total votes Percentage Seats won ChangeLabour97878,44847.9657 +1National97806,30544.0240 +3Democrats97105,0915.740 −2Mana Motuhake79,7890.530 –NZ Party325,3810.290 –McGillicuddy Serious192,9900.160 –Values91,6240.080 –Independents511,8730.640 –Others6820,0651.110 –Total4241,831,77797 +2 Votes summary Popular Vote #ddd 600px 410px Labour New Zealand Labour Party 47.96 National New Zealand National Party 44.02 Democrats New Zealand Democratic Party for Social Credit 5.74 Independents Independent politician 0.64 Others #777777 1.64 Parliament seats #ddd 600px 410px Labour New Zealand Labour Party 58.76 National New Zealand National Party 41.24 right There were 97 seats being contested, two more than were in the previous parliament. All seats were won by one of the two major parties. The Labour Party, which was in government, won 57 seats, giving it a majority. Most of the seats won by Labour were in the poorest urban and largest inner-city areas, following the party's typical pattern. Labour was particularly strong in the Wellington region, where it won all ten urban seats. It was also strong in the Western and the Southern poorer areas of Auckland, Christchurch and Dunedin, the other three urban centres, as well as in smaller cities such as Hamilton, New Plymouth, Nelson, Napier, Hastings and Palmerston North. Labour also retained its traditional dominance in the Maori seats, winning all four by large margins. The National Party, also following its traditional patterns, was strongest in rural areas, winning the vast majority of seats in these regions. The party's primary wins in the affluent urban areas of both the Northern and Eastern parts of Auckland, with the party taking six seats. The party also won a number of seats in smaller cities, such as Rotorua, Tauranga, Invercargill and Whangārei. The party performed poorly in the Maori electorates, coming third in all four. While no minor parties managed to win an electorate, several did manage to gain second place, outperforming one of the major parties but being defeated by the other. The Democrats (formerly Social Credit) was the strongest of the minor parties, coming second in five electorates. Two electorates, East Coast Bays and Pakuranga, were held by the Democrats prior to the election, but were narrowly lost to National candidates. In the other electorates (Coromandel, Rangitikei and Wanganui) the Democrats were the challengers. In the four Maori electorates, the Mana Motuhake party gained second place. Its best result, 31.6%, was obtained in Northern Maori. The New Zealand Party also performed strongly in some electorates, although not as strongly as in the previous election. Independent candidates did not perform well in the 1987 election, with none of them winning a seat or even placing second. The tables below shows the results of the 1987 general election: Key New Zealand Labour Party New Zealand National Party New Zealand Democratic Party Mana Motuhake Electorate results for the 1987 New Zealand general election |- |colspan=8 style="background-color:#FFDEAD" | General electorates |- Albany Don McKinnon New Zealand National Party 1,658 Chris Carter New Zealand Labour Party Ashburton Rob Talbot New Zealand National Party Jenny Shipley New Zealand National Party 4,935 Ian Maxwell New Zealand Labour Party Auckland Central Richard Prebble New Zealand Labour Party 7,355 Stephen Mayer New Zealand National Party Avon Mary Batchelor New Zealand Labour Party Larry Sutherland New Zealand Labour Party 6,322 Wendy Rush New Zealand National Party Awarua Rex Austin New Zealand National Party Jeff Grant New Zealand National Party 2,480 Heather Simpson New Zealand Labour Party Bay of Islands Neill Austin New Zealand National Party John Carter New Zealand National Party 2,123 Chris Robertson New Zealand Labour Party Birkenhead Jim McLay New Zealand National Party Jenny Kirk New Zealand Labour Party 2,220 Barry Gustafson New Zealand National Party Christchurch Central Geoffrey Palmer New Zealand Labour Party 6,805 Graham Burnett New Zealand National Party Christchurch North Mike Moore New Zealand Labour Party 4,698 Brendan McNeill New Zealand National Party Clevedon Warren Kyd New Zealand National Party 827 Lee Goffin New Zealand Labour Party Clutha Robin Gray New Zealand National Party true 5,541 Holly Russell New Zealand Labour Party Coromandel Graeme Lee New Zealand National Party 3,765 Alasdair Thompson New Zealand Democratic Party Dunedin North Stan Rodger New Zealand Labour Party true 6,534 Sean Davison New Zealand National Party Dunedin West true Clive Matthewson New Zealand Labour Party 4,547 Ian McMeeking New Zealand National Party East Cape Anne Fraser New Zealand Labour Party true 246 Wira Gardiner New Zealand National Party East Coast Bays Gary Knapp New Zealand Democratic Party Murray McCully New Zealand National Party 311 Gary Knapp New Zealand Democratic Party Eastern Hutt Trevor Young New Zealand Labour Party true 4,740 Penn Pattison New Zealand National Party Eden Richard Northey New Zealand Labour Party true 3,404 Hiwi Tauroa New Zealand National Party Fendalton Philip Burdon New Zealand National Party 311 Neil Cherry New Zealand Labour Party Gisborne Allan Wallbank New Zealand Labour Party true 2,759 Georgina Tattersfield New Zealand National Party Glenfield Judy Keall New Zealand Labour Party true 1,900 David Schnauer New Zealand National Party Hamilton East Bill Dillon New Zealand Labour Party true 1,671 Sandra Shearer New Zealand National Party Hamilton West Trevor Mallard New Zealand Labour Party true 1,235 Doug Simes New Zealand National Party Hastings David Butcher New Zealand Labour Party true 2,307 Jeff Whittaker New Zealand National Party Hawkes Bay Bill Sutton New Zealand Labour Party true 859 Michael Laws New Zealand National Party Heretaunga Bill Jeffries New Zealand Labour Party true 2,554 John Allen New Zealand National Party Hobson Ross Meurant New Zealand National Party 4,998 I J Melville New Zealand Labour Party Horowhenua Annette King New Zealand Labour Party 1,550 Geoff Thompson New Zealand National Party Invercargill Norman Jones New Zealand National Party Rob Munro New Zealand National Party 552 David Soper New Zealand Labour Party Island Bay Frank O'Flynn New Zealand Labour Party Elizabeth Tennet New Zealand Labour Party 7,313 Sandra Clarke New Zealand National Party Kaimai Bruce Townshend New Zealand National Party Robert Anderson New Zealand National Party 2,307 Henry Uttinger New Zealand Labour Party Kaipara true Lockwood Smith New Zealand National Party 5,797 Irene Hutchings New Zealand Labour Party Kapiti Margaret Shields New Zealand Labour Party true 2,760 Roger Sowry New Zealand National Party King Country Jim Bolger New Zealand National Party true 5,954 Leo Menefy New Zealand Labour Party Lyttelton Ann Hercus New Zealand Labour Party Peter Simpson New Zealand Labour Party 3,733 Philip Hall New Zealand National Party Manawatu Michael Cox New Zealand National Party David Robinson New Zealand Labour Party 131 Michael Coxnb Cox was first on election night for Manawatu, but lost when special votes were included New Zealand National Party Mangere David Lange New Zealand Labour Party 6,019 Ron Jeffery New Zealand National Party Manurewa New Zealand Labour Party Roger Douglas 3,052 George Cunningham New Zealand National Party Maramarua Bill Birch New Zealand National Party 5,729 Brian Dent New Zealand Labour Party Marlborough Doug Kidd New Zealand National Party true 2,402 Barbara Hutchison New Zealand Labour Party Matamata Jack Luxton New Zealand National Party John Luxton New Zealand National Party 6,926 D W McGregor New Zealand Labour Party Miramar Peter Neilsen New Zealand Labour Party true 4,061 Ian Macfarlane New Zealand National Party Mount Albert true Helen Clark New Zealand Labour Party 5,337 Rob Wheeler New Zealand National Party Napier true Geoff Braybrooke New Zealand Labour Party 5,425 Ashley Church New Zealand National Party Nelson Philip Woollaston New Zealand Labour Party true 5,467 Bob Straight New Zealand National Party New Lynn Jonathan Hunt New Zealand Labour Party true 4,369 Dick Berry New Zealand National Party New Plymouth Tony Friedlander New Zealand National Party Harry Duynhoven New Zealand Labour Party 337 Tony Friedlander New Zealand National Party North Shore George Gair New Zealand National Party true 920 Graeme Ransom New Zealand Labour Party Ohariu Peter Dunne New Zealand Labour Party true 4,492 David Lloyd New Zealand National Party Onehunga Fred Gerbic New Zealand Labour Party true 3,329 Andrew Stanley New Zealand National Party Otago Warren Cooper New Zealand National Party 1,961 Calvin Fisher New Zealand Labour Party Otara Colin Moyle New Zealand Labour Party true 2,409 Trevor Rogers New Zealand National Party Pahiatua John Falloon New Zealand National Party true 2,083 Margo Martindale New Zealand Labour Party Pakuranga Neil Morrison New Zealand Democratic Party Maurice Williamson New Zealand National Party 2,018 Neil Morrison New Zealand Democratic Party Palmerston North Trevor de Cleene New Zealand Labour Party 3,237 Paul Curry New Zealand National Party Panmure Bob Tizard New Zealand Labour Party 4,247 T J C Elliott New Zealand National Party Papakura Merv Wellington New Zealand National Party true 2,894 Geoff Summers New Zealand Labour Party Papatoetoe Eddie Isbey New Zealand Labour Party Ross Robertson New Zealand Labour Party 2,689 Howard Martin New Zealand National Party Pencarrow Fraser Colman New Zealand Labour Party Sonja Davies New Zealand Labour Party 1,851 Andrew Harvey New Zealand National Party Porirua Gerry Wall New Zealand Labour Party Graham Kelly New Zealand Labour Party 3,531 Arthur Leonard Gadsby New Zealand National Party Raglan Simon Upton New Zealand National Party true 3,271 Olivia Scarletti-Longley New Zealand Labour Party Rangiora Jim Gerard New Zealand National Party true 2,132 Chris Constable New Zealand Labour Party Rangitikei Denis Marshall New Zealand National Party true 4,039 Bruce Beetham New Zealand Democratic Party Remuera Doug Graham New Zealand National Party true 406 Judith Tizard New Zealand Labour Party Roskill Phil Goff New Zealand Labour Party true 2,437 Bob Foulkes New Zealand National Party Rotorua Paul East New Zealand National Party true 2,425 Rosemary Michie New Zealand Labour Party St Albans David Caygill New Zealand Labour Party 4,521 Andrew Cowie New Zealand National Party St Kilda Michael Cullen New Zealand Labour Party 5,692 Lyndon Weggery New Zealand National Party Selwyn Ruth Richardson New Zealand National Party 2,962 Bill Woods New Zealand Labour Party Sydenham Jim Andertonnb Jim Anderton defected to New Labour in 1989. New Zealand Labour Party true 6,436 Judith Harrington New Zealand National Party Tamaki Robert Muldoon New Zealand National Party true 1,947 Carl Harding New Zealand Labour Party Taranaki Roger Maxwell New Zealand National Party true 6,313 Patrick Jackson New Zealand Labour Party Tarawera Ian McLean New Zealand National Party 3,577 Malcolm Moore New Zealand Labour Party Tasman Ken Shirley New Zealand Labour Party true 1,012 Gerald Hunt New Zealand National Party Tauranga Winston Peters New Zealand National Party true 2,451 Jenny Seddon New Zealand Labour Party Te Atatu Michael Bassett New Zealand Labour Party 2,249 Brian Neeson New Zealand National Party Timaru Maurice McTigue New Zealand National Party true 857 Gary Clarke New Zealand Labour Party Titirangi Ralph Maxwell New Zealand Labour Party 3,954 John McIntosh New Zealand National Party Tongariro Noel Scott New Zealand Labour Party true 2,370 Ian Peters New Zealand National Party Waikaremoana Roger McClay New Zealand National Party true 3,810 T K Stewart New Zealand Labour Party Waikato Rob Storey New Zealand National Party true 4,155 Bruce Raitt New Zealand Labour Party Waipa Katherine O'Regan New Zealand National Party true 6,303 L F Holmes New Zealand Labour Party Wairarapa Reg Boorman New Zealand Labour Party Wyatt Creechnb Creech was declared elected by the High Court after an Electoral Petition New Zealand National Party 34 Reg Boorman New Zealand Labour Party Waitaki Jim Sutton New Zealand Labour Party true 89 Duncan Taylor New Zealand National Party Waitotara Venn Young New Zealand National Party true 5,949 Rachel Stewart New Zealand Labour Party Wallace Derek Angus New Zealand National Party true 7,594 Barry Julian New Zealand Labour Party Wanganui Russell Marshall New Zealand Labour Party true 248 Terry Heffernan New Zealand Democratic Party Wellington Central Fran Wilde New Zealand Labour Party 5,191 John Feast New Zealand National Party West Auckland true Jack Elder New Zealand Labour Party 2,844 Ben Couch New Zealand National Party West Coast Kerry Burke New Zealand Labour Party 1,480 Gordon Garwood New Zealand National Party Western Hutt true John Terris New Zealand Labour Party 3,548 Joy McLauchlan New Zealand National Party Whangārei John Banks New Zealand National Party true 3,687 Edna Tait New Zealand Labour Party Yaldhurst true Margaret Austin New Zealand Labour Party 2,542 James Bacon New Zealand National Party |- |colspan=8 style="background-color:#FFDEAD" | Māori electorates |- Eastern Maori true Peter Tapsell New Zealand Labour Party 8,696 Amster Reedy Mana Motuhake Northern Maori true Bruce Gregory New Zealand Labour Party 3,529 Matiu Rata Mana Motuhake Southern Maori true Whetu Tirikatene-Sullivan New Zealand Labour Party 8,848 Tikirau Stevens Mana Motuhake Western Maori true Koro Wētere New Zealand Labour Party 8,129 Eva Rickard Mana Motuhake |} Table footnotes: nb Notes References Bassett Michael Bassett Michael Working with David: Inside the Lange Cabinet 2008 Hodder Moa Auckland 978-1-86971-094-1 Gustafson Barry Barry Gustafson The First 50 Years : A History of the New Zealand National Party 1986 Reed Methuen Auckland 0-474-00177-6 Electoral Atlas of New Zealand McRobie Alan 1989 GP Books Wellington 0-477-01384-8 Ross Meurant Meurant Ross The Beat to the Beehive 1989 Harlen Books Auckland 0-908757-05-0 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:1980s in New Zealand Category:1987 in New Zealand Category:1987 elections in New Zealand Category:August 1987 in Oceania