The 1984 New Zealand general election was a nationwide vote to determine the shape of the New Zealand Parliament. It marked the beginning of the Fourth Labour Government, with David Lange's Labour Party defeating long-serving Prime Minister Robert Muldoon of the National Party. It was also the last election in which the Social Credit Party won seats as an independent entity. The election was also the only one in which the New Zealand Party, a protest party, played any substantial role.

Preceded by:
1981 election
New Zealand elections Followed by:
1987 election

Background

Before the election, the National Party governed with forty-seven seats, a small majority. The opposition Labour Party held forty-three seats, and the Social Credit Party held two. Although National theoretically commanded a two seat lead over the other parties, dissent within the National caucus (particularly by Marilyn Waring and Mike Minogue) resulted in serious problems for National leader Robert Muldoon.

The 1984 election was called when Marilyn Waring told Muldoon that she would not support his government in the vote over an opposition-sponsored anti-nuclear bill. Muldoon, visibly drunk, announced a snap election on national television. There is debate over whether the election was necessary - Waring had not threatened to block confidence and supply, meaning that the government could still have continued on even if it had lost the anti-nuclear vote. Nevertheless, Muldoon appears to have wanted an election to reinforce his mandate (just as Sidney Holland had sought and won a mandate to oppose striking dock-workers with the 1954 snap election).

Muldoon's government, which had been growing increasingly unpopular in its third term, was seen as rigid, inflexible, and increasingly unresponsive to public concerns. The Labour Party had actually gained a majority of the vote in the previous two elections, but had narrowly missed out on getting a majority of the seats. Labour's primary campaign message was one of change - Muldoon's government, which employed wage and price controls in an attempt to "guide" the economy, was widely blamed for poor economic performance. Labour also campaigned to reduce government borrowing.

The New Zealand Party, founded by property tycoon Bob Jones, was launched primarily to oppose the Muldoon government (although it did not support Labour). A right-wing liberal party, it promoted free market economic policies that contrasted sharply with the paternalist and somewhat authoritarian policies of National, the other significant right-wing party.

The election

The election was held on the 14th of July. 2,111,651 people were registered to vote in the elections. Turnout was 93.7%, the highest turnout for some time. Most political scientists attribute the high turnout to a desire by voters for change.

Summary of results

The 1984 election saw the Labour Party win fifty-six of the ninty-five seats in parliament, a gain of thirteen. This was enough for it to hold an outright majority. The National Party won only thirty-seven seats, a loss of ten. The New Zealand Party, despite winning 12.2% of the vote, failed to gain any seats at all. Social Credit managed to win two seats, the same number as it had held previously. The Values Party, an environmentalist group, gained fifth place.

Detailed results

The table below displays data on the performance of all registered parties which submitted a party list. Parties are listed in order of the number of party votes they received.

Displayed on the table are:

Party Candidates Total votes Percentage Seats won

Labour Party 95 829,154 43.0% 56

National Party 95 692,494 35.9% 37

New Zealand Party 95 236,385 12.2% -

Social Credit Party 95 147,162 7.6% 2

Values Party 29 3,826 0.2% -

Others 57 20,180 1.1% -

There were ninety-five seats being contested in the 1984 elections, three more than were in the previous parliament. All but two of these seats were won by one of the two major parties.

The Labour Party, previously in opposition, won fifty-six seats, an outright majority. Most of the seats won by Labour were in urban areas, following the party's typical pattern. Exceptions to this general trend include the eastern tip of the North Island and the western coast of the South Island. Labour's strongest regions were the Wellington area (where the party won every seat), as well as Auckland, Christchurch, and Dunedin (cities in which it won most seats). Smaller cities such as Hamilton, Nelson, Napier, Hastings, and Palmerston North were also won by Labour. As expected, Labour also won all four Maori seats, maintaining its traditional strength there.

The National Party, the incumbent government, was (as expected) strongest in rural areas. Most of the rural North Island was won by National, as were a most of the rural areas on the South Island's eastern coast. In the larger cities, the party fared poorly, with Auckland and Christchurch being the only places that the party won seats. It was more successful in smaller cities, however, winning Rotorua, Tauranga, Invercargill, New Plymouth, and Whangarei. It placed second in two Maori electorates, and third in the other two.

The only minor party to win electorates was the Social Credit Party, which won East Coast Bays and Pakuranga (both in Auckland). It had held East Coast Bays before the election, but won Pakuranga for the first time. It did not manage to retain Rangitikei, which it had also held before the election. Social Credit candidates placed second in six electorates, including Rangitikei.

The New Zealand Party, despite gaining more votes than Social Credit, did not win any seats. Some commentators have suggested that the party was not seeking to do so, and instead was merely acting as a spoiler for National. This impression has been backed up by comments by Bob Jones himself. The party did, however, place second in the electorates of Remuera (an affluent part of Auckland), Kaimai (a region in the Bay of Plenty), and Tauranga.

The Values Party, an environmentalist group, managed to win 0.2% of the vote, substantially below previous efforts. The party, which was in slow decline, would eventually vanish, but its ideals and goals would be reborn in the Green Party.

In two of the Maori electorates, the Mana Maori Movement gained second place, but the party did not gain a substantial number of votes elsewhere.

No independent candidates won seats, but one independent candidate placed second in the electorate of Nelson.

MPs Elected in 1987

Key: Labour Party National Party New Zealand Party

Social Credit Party Mana Maori Movement Independent

Electorate Incumbent Winner Second Place

Ashburton Rob Talbert G Stone

Auckland Central Richard Prebble M Eardley-Wilmot

Avon Mary Batchelor A P Cowie

Awarua Rex Austin B G Raitt

Bay of Islands Neil Austin L W Hunter

Birkenhead Jim McLay J E T Course

Christchurch Central Geoffrey Palmer A A P Willy

Christchurch North New Electorate Mike Moore D J L Dumergue

Clutha Robin Gray M J Sheppard

Dunedin North Stan Rodger B Henderson

Dunedin West New Electorate Clive Matthewson D G P Russell

East Cape Duncan MacIntyre Anne Fraser R J Leeming

East Coast Bays Gary Knapp Murray McCully

Eastern Hutt T J Young M J McLauchlan

Eden A G Malcom Richard Northey A G Malcom

Fendalton Philip Burdon M J Dobson

Franklin New Electorate Bill Birch R Haywood

Gisborne R L Bell Allan Wallbank R L Bell

Glenfield New Electorate Judy Keall D L Schnauer

Hamilton West Ian Shearer B Dillon Ian Shearer

Hamilton West Mike Minogue Trevor Mallard Mike Minogue

Hastings D J Butcher P D Brown

Hauraki Graeme Lee A D T Thompson

Hawkes Bay Richard Harrison Bill Sutton Richard Harrison

Heretaunga Bill Jeffries A J MacFarlane

Horowhenua Geoff Thompson Annette King Geoff Thompson

Invercargill Norman Jones D E H Soper

Island Bay Frank O'Flynn J Kananghinis

Kaimai Bruce Townshend L J B Dickson

Kaipara P I Wilkinson Lockwood Smith W J Campbell

Kapiti Margaret Shields I J Oakley

King Country Jim Bolger J E Simons

Lyttelton Ann Hercus D G Graham

Manawatu Michael Cox D C Alton

Mangere David Lange P L Saunders

Manurewa Roger Douglas S Leenstra

Marlborough Doug Kidd G MacDonald

Matamata John Luxton R I Clow

Miramar Peter Nielson D Crosbie

Mount Albert Helen Clark R O Cavanagh

Napier Geoff Braybrooke M P Liddell

Avon Philip Woollaston Mel Courtney

Avon Jonathan Hunt R A Hanson

New Plymouth Tony Friedlander Ida Gaskin

North Shore George Gair P J Harris

Ohariu Hugh Templeton Peter Dunne Hugh Templeton

Onehunga Fred Gerbic C A Freeman

Otago Warren Cooper J D Polson

Otara New Electorate Colin Moyle M M M Tahia

Pahiatua John Falloon M Brazendale

Pakuranga Pat Hunt Neil Morrison Pat Hunt

Palmerston North Trevor De Cleene C G Singleton

Panmure New Electorate Bob Tizard C Tedesco

Papakura Merv Wellington D L John

Papatoetoe Eddie Isbey P F O'Brien

Avon F M Colman K J B Cranston

Porirua Gerard Wall A L Gadsby

Raglan New Electorate Simon Upton L Holmes

Rangiora Derek Quigley Jim Gerard B C Tomlinson

Rangitikei Bruce Beetham Dennis Marshall Bruce Beetham

Remuera Doug Graham K L Sandford

Rodney New Electorate Don McKinnon B R Dent

Roskill Phil Goff C N Knowles

Rotorua Paul East B D Arps

St Albans David Caygill I G B Wilson

St Kilda Michael Cullen J S Clark

Selwyn Ruth Richardson C E Manning

Sydenham John Kirk Jim Anderton E L Bonisch

Tamaki Robert Muldoon R Tulloch

Taranaki D S Thomson Roger Maxwell G N Waters

Tarawera Ian McLean M R Moore

Tasman Bill Rowling Ken Shirley G H Hunt

Tauranga K R Allen Winston Peters D J Parlour

Te Atatu Michael Bassett F W G Diment

Timaru Basil Arthur Maurice McTigue

Tongariro New Electorate Noel Scott N F Rangi

Waikaremoana

New Electorate Roger McClay J N Hare

Waikato Simon Upton Rob Storey P J Cleave

Waipa Marilyn Waring Katherine O'Regan A H Allen

Wairarapa Ben Couch Reg Boorman Ben Couch

Waitakere Ralph Maxwell J C McIntosh

Waitaki Jonathan Elworthy Jim Sutton Jonathan Elworthy

Waitotara Venn Young S C Perry

Wallace Derek Angus C J Fisher

Wanganui Russell Marshall Terry Heffernan

Wellington Central Fran Wilde R A Young Rouse

West Auckland New Electorate Jack Elder D M J Jones

West Coast Thomas Burke J W Bateman

Western Hutt John Terris J W Tanner

Whangarei John Banks B C Magner

Yaldhurst M A Connelly Margaret Austin H Joseph

Eastern Maori Peter Tapsell B R Kiwara

Northern Maori Bruce Gregory Matiu Rata

Southern Maori Whetu Tirikatene-Sullivan N A Reedy

Western Maori Koro Wetere W S Katene