New Zealand - Election - 2008
By Kiwi standards, the 2006 political climate was defined by unprecedented levels of tit-for-tat personal mudslinging and vitriol. PM Helen Clark's withering attack on National Party leader Dr. Don Brash sent National surging ahead in NZ political polls. In September 2006, Clark called for a halt to smears on MPs' personal lives and, in the next sentence, called Brash "corrosive and cancerous". National claimed the PM's attack was designed to distract attention from National's allegations the Government had illegally used public money on its electoral campaign. The Nats' prediction that the name calling would backfire against Labour appeared to have been borne out in the polls. Labour's problems are compounded by the Greens decision not to support Labour's proposal for legislation validating Labour's election spending.
The 2008 general election on 08 November was comfortably won by the John Key-led National Party. National won 45% of the popular vote (58 seats) to Labour's 34% (43 seats). The Green Party won nine seats; ACT won five; the Maori Party picked up an additional Maori seat to bring its total number of seats to five; the Progressives and United Future won one seat each. New Zealand First, the party of former foreign minister Winston Peters, did not win enough votes to return to parliament. There was a 3% increase in the number of people voting in 2008 over 2005 (2,376,480 compared to 2,304,005) but overall turnout as a percentage of enrolled voters was slightly down (79.5% compared to 80.9%) and turnout of those on the Maori roll was down (62.4% compared to 67.1%).
Conceding defeat, outgoing Prime Minister Helen Clark said she accepted the choice the public had made, and accepted responsibility for the election result. She then announced she was standing down and expected Labour colleagues to elect a new leader before Christmas. Miss Clark, who retained her Mt Albert electorate, earlier telephoned John Key to concede the election. Michael Cullen is also standing down as deputy leader. He said on it was time to step aside as the party rebuilds. Dr Cullen said he would continue to serve in Parliament.
Mr Key addressed hundreds of his party faithful in Auckland, telling them there will be a new National-led Government. The incoming Prime Minister said the result shows New Zealanders have spoken in their hundreds of thousands and called for change. He said New Zealand had voted for a safer, more prosperous and ambitious New Zealand. Mr Key said he is looking forward to leading the country, despite the challenges it faces. National will be able to form a new Government with the support of ACT and United Future. New Zealand First was not returned to Parliament this term.
On November 16, Key announced the formation of a new National-led center-right government in coalition with the right-leaning ACT and the centrist United Future party. National also entered into a limited support agreement with the Maori Party. Collectively, this gave the government 69 votes to pass legislation in the new 122-member parliament, the two extra seats the results of an overhang from the election. The leaders of ACT and United Future were respectively given the local government and revenue ministerial portfolios. ACT's co-leader was given the consumer affairs ministerial portfolio. The co-leaders of the Maori Party were each given the Maori affairs and community ministerial portfolios, although their posts are outside of cabinet with the right to dissent on other policy issues outside portfolio areas. The government was sworn in on November 19, 2008, with Key becoming New Zealand's 38th prime minister.
During her election night concession speech, outgoing Prime Minister Helen Clark announced that she would step down as Labour's leader after 15 years in charge. She was succeeded as party leader by Phil Goff. Clark resigned from parliament on April 8, 2009 to become the Administrator of the United Nations Development Program in New York. The 49th parliament commenced on December 8, 2008 and resumed session on February 8, 2011 after a customary summer recess. The next general election was scheduled to be held on November 26, 2011.
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