New Zealand - Election - 2011
The General Election of 26th November 2011 was New Zealand’s 50th since general elections began in 1853, and the sixth election conducted under the Mixed Member Proportional (MMP) voting system. As a proportional representation system, MMP ensures that voters’ party preferences are proportionally reflected in the party composition of Parliament. Under First-Past-the-Post (FPP) elections, from 1981 to 1993, the National Party averaged 40.3% of the vote while the Labour Party averaged 40.0%. Under Mixed Member Proportional (MMP) elections, from 1996 to 2011, the National Party has averaged 36.1% of the party vote which compares to the 35.1% average for the Labour Party.
On 26 November 2011 New Zealand opposition leader Phil Goff conceded defeat in national elections to Prime Minister John Key's center-right National Party. With all polling places counted, preliminary results show the Nationals won 48 percent of the votes, falling short of an absolute majority. That means Mr. Key would form a coalition government with the support of minority parties. The Labor Party came in second with 27 percent of the votes. Official results were due to be announced December 10. Key's National Party had held power for the past three years with the support of three minor parties after ousting a center-left Labor Party-led coalition government in 2008.
The National Party’s share of the party vote in 2011 (47.3%) was the highest it had achieved under MMP and, since 1981, was only surpassed by its 1990 election result when it achieved 47.8%. The National Party’s total of 59 seats was also the highest it had achieved under MMP. The Labour Party’s share of the vote in 2011 (27.5%) is the lowest it has achieved in any MMP election to date – indeed, it was the lowest share for the Labour Party in any election since 1928 when it received 26.2%.
When the 2011 election is compared with the 2008 election, the National, Green, and NZ First parties increased both their share of the party vote and their total seats, while the Labour, Maori and ACT parties saw both a decrease in their share of the party vote and their seats in the House (Table 3). The National Party increased its party vote by 2.38 percentage points above its 2008 election result and gained one seat, the Green Party gained 4.34 percentage points and five seats, and NZ First gained 2.52% and eight seats. The Labour Party lost 6.51 percentage points and nine seats, the Maori Party lost 0.96 percentage points and two seats, and ACT New Zealand lost 2.58 percentage points and four seats. Although United Future lost 0.27 percentage points, it did not lose any seats. The Mana Party did not contest the 2008 election; Jim Anderton's Progressive Party did not contest the 2011 election.
The final results confirm the total number of seats in Parliament were 121. This provided New Zealand with 2.7 MPs per 100,000 population – the fifth lowest level of representation among the 15 OECD members with unicameral parliaments. Although the National Party has lost one list seat compared to election night –– and now has 59 seats in total – its share of the party vote (47.3%) is the highest it has achieved under MMP.
The Labour Party’s share of the vote in 2011 (27.5%) is the lowest it has achieved in any MMP election to date – indeed, it is the lowest share for the Labour Party in any election since 1928 when it received 26.2%. The Green Party’s share of the party vote (11.1%) is the highest it has achieved in any MMP election to date entitling it to 14 seats in Parliament. It is the second highest party vote achieved by a ‘third’ party in the MMP era, being surpassed only by NZ First which achieved 13.3% in 1996.
There were 21 MPs who self-identified as being of Maori descent, or 17% of the total Parliament, similar to the 18% of the NZ population who indicated Maori descent in the 2006 census. The new Parliament had a record 6 MPs who identify as being of Pacific Peoples ethnicity, or 5% of Parliament, which compares to the 7% of the population who identified as being of the Pacific Peoples ethnic group in the 2006 census.
The 5% threshold that parties have to cross to make it into Parliament will be looked at as part of the review of MMP. The Electoral Commission has announed the timetable for the review which will take place following the 58% vote in favour of retaining MMP in the referendum on the voting system. The commission will call for submissions in mid-February 2012 and hold public hearings in April and May before releasing a proposals paper in August for public comment. Topics that will be looked at include the threshold parties should cross to qualify for list seats in Parliament and whether a person should be able to stand as a candidate in both an electorate seat and on a party list.
|
NEWSLETTER
|
| Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list |
|
|
|
