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Since the adoption of the New Zealand Constitution Act 1852, which granted New Zealand self-governance from Britain, New Zealand has had its own parliament. Regular elections to the New Zealand House of Representatives have been held since the first in 1853.

This page lists every parliament of New Zealand along with:[1][2]

  • its corresponding general election and the date(s) of that election;
  • the term for which that parliament met; and
  • the partisan makeup of each parliament after the introduction of political parties (this does not include later changes to parliamentary composition).

Note that it was not until the election of members of the 8th Parliament in 1881 that all positions were filled on the same day. Until then, polls were held in individual electorates on different days within an election period. Elections for members of Māori electorates, which commenced with supplementary elections in 1868, were held separately from elections for general electorates until the election of the 30th Parliament in 1951.

List of parliaments

Key for political party colours (see also: List of political parties in New Zealand)

Re Reform
Un United
La Labour
Ac ACT
Gr Green
Mi Māori
In Independent
_ Other
Parliaments of New Zealand
Parliament Election Term of Parliament Parliamentary makeup (as at date of election)
Year Date (General) Date (Māori) Turnout Start End
1st 1853 14 July 1853 – 1 October 1853 24 May 1854 15 September 1855 37: In 37
2nd 1855 26 October 1855 – 28 December 1855 15 April 1856 5 November 1860 37: In 37
3rd 1860/61 12 December 1860 – 28 March 1861 3 June 1861 30 October 1865 53: In 53
4th 1866/1868 12 February 1866 – 6 April 1866 15 April 1868 – 20 June 1868 30 June 1866 13 September 1870 70: In 70
5th 1871 14 January 1871 – 23 February 1871 1 February 1871 – 15 February 1871 14 August 1871 21 October 1875 78: In 78
6th 1875/76 20 December 1875 – 29 January 1876 4 January 1876 – 15 January 1876 15 June 1876 11 August 1879 88: In 88
7th 1879 28 August 1879 – 15 September 1879 8 September 1879 66.50% 24 September 1879 24 September 1881 88: In 88
8th 1881 8 December 1881 9 December 1881 66.50% 18 May 1882 24 June 1884 95: In 95
9th 1884 21 July 1884 22 July 1884 60.60% 7 August 1884 10 June 1887 95: In 95
10th 1887 7 September 1887 26 September 1887 67.10% 6 October 1887 17 September 1890 95: In 95
11th 1890 27 November 1890 5 December 1890 80.40% 23 January 1891 6 October 1893 74: Li 40 Co 25 In 9
12th 1893 28 November 1893 20 December 1893 75.20% 21 June 1894 17 October 1896 74: Li 51 Co 13 In 10
13th 1896 4 December 1896 19 December 1896 76.10% 6 April 1897 23 October 1899 74: Li 39 Co 26 In 9
14th 1899 6 December 1899 19 December 1899 77.60% 21 June 1900 3 October 1902 74: Li 49 Co 19 In 6
15th 1902 5 November 1902 22 December 1902 76.70% 29 June 1903 30 October 1905 80: Li 47 Co 19 In 14
16th 1905 6 December 1905 20 December 1905 83.30% 27 June 1906 10 October 1908 80: Li 58 Co 16 In 4 _ 2
17th 1908 17 November 1908 2 December 1908 79.80% 10 June 1909 28 October 1911 80: Li 50 Co 26 _ 1 In 3
18th 1911 7 December 1911 19 December 1911 83.50% 15 February 1912 5 November 1914 80: Re 37 Li 33 In 6 _ 4
19th 1914 10 December 1914 11 December 1914 84.70% 24 June 1915 5 November 1919 80: Re 40 Li 34 _ 5 In 1
20th 1919 16 December 1919[fn 1] 17 December 1919 80.50% 24 June 1920 31 October 1922 80: Re 45 Li 19 La 8 In 8
21st 1922 6 December 1922 7 December 1922 88.70% 7 February 1923 1 October 1925 80: Re 37 Li 22 La 17 In 4
22nd 1925 3 November 1925 4 November 1925 90.90% 16 June 1926 9 October 1928 80: Re 55 La 12 Li 11 In 2
23rd 1928 13 October 1928 14 October 1928 88.10% 4 December 1928 11 November 1931 80: Un 27 Re 27 La 19 In 6 Co 1
24th 1931 1 December 1931 2 December 1931 83.30% 23 February 1932 26 October 1935 80: Re 28 La 24 Un 19 In 8 Co 1
25th 1935 26 November 1935[fn 2] 27 November 1935 90.80% 25 March 1936 16 September 1938 80: La 53 Re 9 Un 7 In 7 Co 2 _ 2
26th 1938 14 October 1938 15 October 1938 92.90% 27 June 1939 26 August 1943 80: La 53 Na 25 In 2
27th 1943 24 September 1943[fn 3] 25 September 1943 82.80% 22 February 1944 12 October 1946 80: La 45 Na 34 In 1
28th 1946 26 November 1946 27 November 1946 93.50% 24 June 1947 21 October 1949 80: La 42 Na 38
29th 1949 29 November 1949 30 November 1949 93.50% 27 June 1950 13 July 1951 80: Na 46 La 34
30th 1951 1 September 1951[fn 4] 89.10% 25 September 1951 1 October 1954 80: Na 50 La 30
31st 1954 13 November 1954 91.40% 22 March 1955 25 October 1957 80: Na 45 La 35
32nd 1957 30 November 1957[fn 5] 92.90% 21 January 1958 28 October 1960 80: La 41 Na 39
33rd 1960 26 November 1960[fn 5] 89.80% 29 June 1961 25 October 1963 80: Na 46 La 34
34th 1963 30 November 1963[fn 5] 89.60% 10 June 1964 29 October 1966 80: Na 45 La 35
35th 1966 26 November 1966[fn 5] 86.00% 26 April 1967 24 October 1969 80: Na 44 La 35 Sc 1
36th 1969 29 November 1969[fn 5] 88.90% 12 March 1970 5 July 1974 84: Na 45 La 39
37th 1972 25 November 1972[fn 5] 89.10% 14 February 1973 10 October 1975 87: La 55 Na 32
38th 1975 29 November 1975[fn 5] 82.50% 22 June 1976 6 October 1978 87: Na 55 La 32
39th 1978 25 November 1978[fn 5] 69.20%[fn 6] 16 May 1979 23 October 1981 92: Na 51 La 40 Sc 1
40th 1981 28 November 1981[fn 5] 91.40% 6 April 1982 14 June 1984 92: Na 47 La 43 Sc 2
41st 1984 14 July 1984[fn 7] 93.70% 15 August 1984 29 July 1987 95: La 56 Na 37 Sc 2
42nd 1987 15 August 1987 89.10% 16 September 1987 6 September 1990 97: La 57 Na 40
43rd 1990 27 October 1990 85.20% 28 November 1990 23 September 1993 97: Na 67 La 29 _ 1
44th 1993 6 November 1993 85.20% 21 December 1993 27 August 1996 99: Na 50 La 45 Al 2 Fi 2
45th 1996 12 October 1996[fn 8] 88.30% 12 December 1996 5 October 1999 120: Na 44 La 37 Fi 17 Al 13 Ac 8 _ 1
46th 1999 27 November 1999[fn 5] 84.10% 20 December 1999 11 June 2002 120: La 49 Na 39 Al 10 Ac 9 Gr 7 Fi 5 _ 1
47th 2002 27 July 2002[fn 9] 77.00% 26 August 2002 2 August 2005 120: La 52 Na 27 Fi 13 Ac 9 Gr 9 Uf 8 Pr 2
48th 2005 17 September 2005 80.90% 7 November 2005 23 September 2008 121: La 50 Na 48 Fi 7 Gr 6 Mi 4 Uf 3 Ac 2 Pr 1
49th 2008 8 November 2008 78.70% 8 December 2008 6 October 2011 122: Na 58 La 43 Gr 9 Mi 5 Ac 5 Uf 1 Pr 1
50th 2011 26 November 2011[fn 5] 74.20% 20 December 2011 31 July 2014 121: Na 59 La 34 Gr 14 Fi 8 Mi 3 Ac 1 Uf 1 _ 1
51st 2014 20 September 2014 77.90% 20 October 2014 18 August 2017 121: Na 60 La 32 Gr 14 Fi 11 Mi 2 Ac 1 Uf 1
52nd 2017 23 September 2017 79.80% 7 November 2017 6 September 2020 120: Na 56 La 46 Fi 9 Gr 8 Ac 1
53rd 2020 17 October 2020 82.50% 25 November 2020 8 September 2023 120: La 65 Na 33 Gr 10 Ac 10 Mi 2
54th 2023 14 October 2023 78.20% 5 December 2023 Current 123: Na 49 La 34 Gr 15 Ac 11 Fi 8 Mi 6

See also

References

  1. ^ a b "1853-2020 general elections: Overview". Vote.nz. Electoral Commission.
  2. ^ "1890–1993 general elections: Overview". Vote.nz. Electoral Commission.

Footnotes

  1. ^ Delayed due to World War I.
  2. ^ Delayed in hopes of better economic conditions.
  3. ^ Delayed due to World War II.
  4. ^ Snap election due to waterfront strike.
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k General election held on last Saturday of November.
  6. ^ Due to major problems with the enrolment process, commentators generally consider that the 1978 election had a significantly higher turnout than official figures indicate.[1]
  7. ^ Muldoon's snap election.
  8. ^ Called early to circumvent a by-election in Hawkes Bay.
  9. ^ Clark's snap election.
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