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Political Reform 1985-1995
1985
- New Zealand introduces anti-nuclear policy.
- Prime Minister David Lange wins the 1985 Oxford Union debate arguing that "nuclear weapons are morally indefensible". A transcript and recording of his speech is available from Public Address.
- Rainbow Warrior sunk in Auckland harbour.
- Royal Commission on the Electoral System established.
1986
- Jim Bolger becomes leader of the National Party.
- New Zealand Party merges with National.
- Royal Commission into the Electoral System recommends referendum on change from First Past the Post (FFP) to Mixed Member Proportional (MMP), but the report is shelved for several years.
First Past the Post
A voting system where each voter has one vote in an electorate and the highest polling candidate becomes the member of parliament for that electorate.
This system does not make allowance for minor parties who may receive a significant number of votes without winning a single electorate. It is also possible for a political party to become the governing party because of the number of electorate seats won, even when the Opposition party may have received a higher number of votes.
1987
- Labour re-elected as government.
- Anti-nuclear legislation passed.
- Māori Language Act passed making Māori an official language of New Zealand.
1988
- Government announces return of Bastion Point to Māori owners.
1989
- Jim Anderton founds New Labour Party.
- David Lange resigns as Prime Minister and is replaced by Geoffrey Palmer.
- Christian Heritage Party (later Christian Heritage New Zealand) launched.
1990
- Dame Catherine Tizard becomes New Zealand's first woman Governor General.
- Values Party merges with other 'Green' groups to form the Green Party of Aotearoa.
- New Zealand Bill of Rights Act passed, protecting the democratic, civil and legal rights of the individual.
- Mike Moore replaces Geoffrey Palmer as Prime Minister.
- National Party wins election and Jim Bolger becomes Prime Minister.
- Jim Anderton wins Sydenham seat for New Labour.
1991
- Employment Contracts Bill passed.
- Alliance Party formed, consisting of New Labour, Mana Motuhake, Democratic (formerly Social Credit) and the Green Party.
Mixed Member Proportional
A voting system based on German model where each voter gets two votes, one for a candidate in his or her local electorate, and one for the party of his or her choice, chosen from those registered parties who have nominated a party list of members.
Of the 120 seats in Parliament, half are elected in an electorate, and the other half are selected from the party lists, with the number of list seats held by a party decided by that party's share of the overall vote. However, to qualify for a share of the list seats, a political party must have received at least 5% of all the Party votes cast, or have won either a General or a Māori electorate seat.
1992
- Indicative referendum rejects FFP (First Past the Post) system for MMP (Mixed Member Proportional), but second referendum required for legislation to proceed.
1993
- Winston Peters forms New Zealand First Party.
- Citizens Initiated Referenda Act passed, allowing a referendum to be held on a subject if sufficient support is gained in a petition.
- National Party wins election, with Alliance and New Zealand First winning two seats each.
- Helen Clark becomes the first woman leader of a major political party when she wins the leadership of the Labour Party.
- Referendum results support introduction of MMP (Mixed Member Proportional) system.
- Taito Phillip Field becomes the first New Zealand member of parliament of Pacific Island descent.
- Chris Carter elected as the first openly gay member of parliament.
- Human Rights Act bans discrimination on 13 different grounds, including race, sex and age, and establishes the office of the Race Relations Conciliator.
1994
- Roger Douglas (ex Labour) and Derek Quigley (ex National) found The Association of Consumers and Taxpayers.
1995
- Supporters of The Association of Consumers and Taxpayers form the ACT New Zealand political party with Richard Prebble as leader.
- Christian Heritage and United New Zealand parties founded.
- 60 general electorates and 5 Māori electorates set for first MMP election.
- Georgina Beyer (formerly George Bertrand) becomes world's first transsexual mayor when elected mayor of Carterton.
