1996 New Zealand general election

The 1996 New Zealand general election was held on 12 October 1996 to determine the composition of the 45th New Zealand Parliament. It was notable for being the first election to be held under the new mixed-member proportional (MMP) electoral system, and produced a parliament considerably more diverse than previous elections. Under the new MMP system, 65 members were elected in single-member districts by first-past-the-post voting, while a further 55 "top-up" members were allocated from closed lists to achieve a proportional distribution based on each party's share of the nationwide party vote.

1996 New Zealand general election

← 1993 12 October 1996 (1996-10-12) 1999 →
← outgoing members members →
All 120 seats in the House of Representatives 61 seats needed for a majority
Opinion polls
Turnout	2,135,175 (88.28%) 5.46%
First party Second party Third party   Leader Jim Bolger Helen Clark Winston Peters Party National Labour NZ First Leader since 26 March 1986 1 December 1993 18 July 1993 Leader's seat Taranaki-King Country Owairaka Tauranga Last election 50 seats, 35.05% 45 seats, 34.68% 2 seats, 8.40% Seats before 41 41 5 Seats won 44 37 17 Seat change 3‡ 4‡ 12‡ Electorate vote 699,073 33.91% 1.14 640,884 31.08% 3.60 278,103 13.49% 5.09 Party vote 701,315 33.87% 584,159 28.19% 276,603 13.35%   Fourth party Fifth party Sixth party   Leader Jim Anderton Richard Prebble Clive Matthewson Party Alliance ACT United NZ Leader since 7 May 1995 24 March 1996 28 June 1995 Leader's seat Wigram Wellington Central Ran in Dunedin South (lost) Last election 2 seats, 18.21% Not yet founded Not yet founded Seats before 2 0 7 Seats won 13 8 1 Seat change 11‡ 8 6 Electorate vote 231,944 11.25% 6.96 77,319 3.75% new 42,666 2.07% new Party vote 209,347 10.10% 126,442 6.10% 18,245 0.88%
Results by electorate, shaded by winning margin
Prime Minister before election Jim Bolger National Subsequent Prime Minister Jim Bolger National

1996 saw the National Party, led by Jim Bolger, retain its position in government, but only after protracted negotiations with the smaller New Zealand First party to form a coalition. New Zealand First won 17 seats—including sweeping every single Māori electorate, all of which had been dominated by the Labour Party since the Second World War. Particular emphasis was placed on New Zealand First's unprecedented success, particularly among Māori; their five Māori electorate winners became known as the "Tight Five". The party's position as "kingmaker" meant they were able to place either of the two major parties into government, a significant election outcome for such a new party.

Various other unusual results occurred under the new system. For one, the National Party sought to ensure the parliamentary representation of the ACT New Zealand, a newly-formed libertarian party which had largely split from the Labour Party after the end of Rogernomics. National endorsed ACT leader and former Labour minister Richard Prebble against their own for Wellington Central, a consistently safe Labour seat. Under New Zealand's MMP rules, a party qualified for list seats if it won at least one electorate seat, regardless of vote share. Bolger thus wanted to ensure ACT could potentially be part of a National-led coalition. Prebble unexpectedly won, though ACT's vote share would have qualified them for MMP in any event. Other unusual occurrences was the large amount of new Māori MPs – leading to the backronym "More Māori in Parliament" for MMP.^[1] With the introduction of MMP in 1996, the proportion of Māori in Parliament increased from 8% to 14%, to an all-time record of 17 MPs.^[2]

Background

Changes mid-term

In the 1993 election, the National Party and the Labour Party had won 50 and 45 seats, respectively. The Alliance and the New Zealand First party had each won two seats. In the approach to MMP, however, there had been considerable rearrangement in parliament, with three new parties being established. As such, the situation just before the 1996 election was markedly different from the situation that had been established at the 1993 election.

Party	Won at 1993 election	By time of 1996 election	Reasons for change
National	50	41	Defection of 9 MPs
Labour	45	41	Defection of 4 MPs
United	–	7	Formed by 4 former National MPs and 3 former Labour MPs
NZ First	2	5	Initial MPs joined by 2 former National MPs and one former Labour MP
Alliance	2	2	No change
Conservative	–	1	Founded by 2 former National MPs; one later became an independent
Christian Democrats	–	1	Founded by a former National MP
Independents	–	1	Ross Meurant, a former National (and briefly Conservative) MP

Electoral redistribution

The 1996 election was notable for the significant change of electorate boundaries, based on the provisions of the Electoral Act 1993.^[3] Because of the introduction of the MMP electoral system, the number of electorates had to be reduced, leading to significant changes. Under MMP, there would be only 65 district members, down by 34 from the number elected in the 1993 election.

Many electorates were abolished, with their territories being incorporated into completely new electoral districts. More than half of the electorates contested in 1996 were newly constituted, and most of the remainder had seen significant boundary changes. Wanganui was renamed as Whanganui. In total, 73 electorates were abolished, 29 electorates were newly created, and 10 electorates were recreated, giving a net loss of 34 electorates.

South Island

Since the 1967 electoral redistribution, the South Island had its number of general electorates fixed at 25.^[4] For the 1996 election and onwards, the number of South Island electorates is fixed at 16. The number of electors on the general roll of the South Island divided by 16 gives the target size for North Island and Māori electorates; this is referred to as the South Island quota.^[5]

The electorates of Avon, Awarua, Christchurch North, Clutha, Dunedin West, Fendalton, Lyttelton, Marlborough, Rangiora, Selwyn, St Albans, St Kilda, Sydenham, Tasman, Timaru, Waitaki, Wallace, West Coast, and Yaldhurst were abolished in the South Island. Six existing electorates (Christchurch Central, Dunedin North, Invercargill, Nelson, Otago, and Rakaia) were kept. Seven electorates (Aoraki, Banks Peninsula, Clutha-Southland, Ilam, Kaikoura, Waimakariri, and West Coast-Tasman) were newly formed. Three electorates (Christchurch East, Dunedin South, and Wigram) were recreated.

North Island

Based on the calculation described above, the target size for North Island electorates resulted in 44 of them being required.

The electorates of Birkenhead, East Coast Bays, Eastern Bay of Plenty, Eastern Hutt, Eden, Far North, Franklin, Gisborne, Glenfield, Hastings, Hauraki, Hawkes Bay, Henderson, Heretaunga, Hobson, Horowhenua, Howick, Island Bay, Kaimai, Kaipara, Kapiti, King Country, Manawatu, Matakana, Matamata, Miramar, Mt Albert, Onehunga, Onslow, Otara, Pahiatua, Panmure, Papakura, Papatoetoe, Pencarrow, Porirua, Raglan, Remuera, Roskill, Taranaki, Tarawera, Te Atatu, Titirangi, Tongariro, Waikaremoana, Waikato, Waipa, Waitotara, Wellington-Karori, and Western Hutt were abolished in the North Island. Twenty existing electorates (Albany, Auckland Central, Hamilton East, Hamilton West, Mangere, Manurewa, Napier, New Lynn, New Plymouth, North Shore, Pakuranga, Palmerston North, Rangitikei, Rotorua, Tamaki, Tauranga, Wairarapa, Waitakere, Whanganui, and Whangarei) were kept. Seventeen electorates (Mahia, Owairaka, Waipareira, Karapiro, Ohariu-Belmont, Port Waikato, Epsom, Hutt South, Mana, Manukau East, Maungakiekie, Northcote, Northland, Rimutaka, Rongotai, Taranaki-King Country, and Tukituki) were newly formed. Eight electorates (Bay of Plenty, Coromandel, Hunua, Otaki, Rodney, Taupo, and Wellington Central) were recreated.

Māori electorates

All four existing Māori electorates (Eastern Maori, Northern Maori, Southern Maori, and Western Maori) were abolished. The calculation described above resulted in five Māori electorates being required; these were Te Puku O Te Whenua, Te Tai Hauauru, Te Tai Rawhiti, Te Tai Tokerau, and Te Tai Tonga.

List seats

The House of Representatives was to have 120 seats, of which 65 were filled through electorate MPs (16 from South Island electorates, 44 from North Island electorates, and 5 from Māori electorates). This left 55 list seats to be filled. An outcome of the election was that no overhang seats were required.

MPs retiring in 1996

Eleven MPs intended to retire at the end of the 44th Parliament.

Party		Name	Electorate
	National	Robert Anderson	Kaimai
		Philip Burdon	Fendalton
		Warren Cooper	Otago
		Robin Gray	Clutha
		John Falloon	Pahiatua
		Roger McClay	Waikaremoana
		Rob Storey	Waikato
	NZ First	Michael Laws	Hawkes Bay
	Labour	David Caygill	St Albans
		David Lange	Mangere
		Elizabeth Tennet	Island Bay

The election

The date of the 1996 election was 12 October; it was brought forward slightly to avoid the need for a by-election following the resignation of Michael Laws, as a by-election is not needed if there will be a general election within 6 months of a seat being vacated.

Of the 2,418,587 people registered to vote, 88.3% turned out to vote. The turnout was a slight improvement on the previous two elections, but still slightly lower than what would have been expected during the 1980s. The number of seats being contested was 120, an increase of 21 from the previous election, but as 55 of the new seats were for list candidates, the number of electorates was reduced considerably and many electorates had their boundaries amended or were abolished. While the number of general electorates decreased from 95 (1993) to 60 (1996), the number of Māori electorates increased from 4 to 5.

In the election 842 candidates stood, and there were 21 registered parties with party lists. Of the candidates, 459 were electorate and list, 152 were electorate only, and 231 were list only. 73% of candidates (616) were male and 27% (226) female.^[6][7]

Summary of results

The 1996 election eventually saw a victory for the governing National Party, which won around a third of the vote. The opposition Labour Party won slightly less. The election, however, was not decided by the comparative strengths of the major parties – rather, the smaller New Zealand First party, which won 17 seats, including 5 Māori seats won by the Tight Five, and was placed in the position of "kingmaker", able to provide the necessary majority to whichever side it chose.^[8] Although predicted by many to ally with Labour, on 10 December 1996 New Zealand First leader Winston Peters chose to form a coalition with National, thus preserving Prime Minister Jim Bolger's administration.^[9]

The 1996 election effectively showcased the difference made by the new electoral system. The Alliance and New Zealand First, both of which held two seats each in the old parliament, increased their representation to 13 and 17 seats, respectively, as a result of the change. The new ACT New Zealand also benefited, taking eight seats. The new United New Zealand party however was virtually wiped out, retaining only a single seat. The Conservative Party also only established only in previous Parliament by defecting Members of Parliament fared even worse, failing to remain in parliament at all. Strategic voting took place for the first time in a New Zealand MMP election in the Wellington seats of Ohariu-Belmont and Wellington Central.

However, Labour did manage to retain its status as among the top-two parties, as polls in the 1993–1996 period had shown Labour was in danger of being overtaken by the Alliance or New Zealand First. Labour's success was credited largely to its leader Helen Clark being seen as having convincingly won the election debates and running a strong campaign on health, education and social services, while Bolger was said to have run a lackluster campaign.^[10]

Also notable in the 1996 election campaign was the Christian Coalition, an alliance of the Christian Democrats and the Christian Heritage Party. Although the party had briefly crossed the 5% threshold in some polls, it gained only 4.33% at the election, and therefore did not qualify for parliamentary representation. With the exception of the Maori Ratana movement, this is the closest that an overtly religious party has come to winning representation in parliament.

Voters were prepared with MMP to vote for minor party candidates with their electorate vote, hence in a number of electorates won by National or Labour the other major party candidate came third or even fourth; previously the two top polling candidates were almost always National and Labour.

Detailed results

Summary of the 12 October 1996 election for the House of Representatives^[11]

Party		Party vote		Electorate vote			Seats
		Votes	%	Votes	%	Change (pp)	List	Electorate	Total	+/-
	National	701,315	33.84	699,073	33.91	1.14	14	30	44	6
	Labour	584,159	28.19	640,884	31.08	3.60	11	26	37	8
	NZ First	276,603	13.35	278,103	13.49	5.09	11	6	17	15
	Alliance	209,347	10.10	231,944	11.25	6.96	12	1	13	11
	ACT	126,442	6.10	77,319	3.75	new	7	1	8	new
	United NZ	18,245	0.88	42,666	2.07	new	0	1	1	new
	Christian Coalition	89,716	4.33	31,995	1.55	0.47	0	0	0	0
	Legalise Cannabis	34,398	1.66	3,420	0.17	new	0	0	0	new
	McGillicuddy Serious	5,990	0.29	12,177	0.59	0.02	0	0	0	0
	Progressive Green	5,288	0.26	7,437	0.36	new	0	0	0	new
	Mana Māori	4,070	0.20	4,763	0.23	0.06	0	0	0	0
	Animals First	3,543	0.17	—	—	—	0	—	0	new
	Natural Law	3,189	0.15	5,385	0.26	0.05	0	0	0	0
	Ethnic Minority Party	2,514	0.12	—	—	—	0	—	0	new
	Green Society	2,363	0.11	1,140	0.06	new	0	0	0	new
	Conservatives	1,431	0.07	4,377	0.21	new	0	0	0	new
	Superannuitants & Youth	1,244	0.06	686	0.03	new	0	0	0	new
	Advance NZ	949	0.05	637	0.03	new	0	0	0	new
	Libertarianz	671	0.03	553	0.03	new	0	0	0	new
	Asia Pacific	478	0.02	293	0.01	new	0	0	0	new
	Te Tawharau	404	0.02	818	0.04	new	0	0	0	new
	Republican	—	—	134	0.01	new	0	0	0	new
	Unregistered Parties	—	—	1,506	0.07	—	0	0	0	0
	Independent	—	—	16,436	0.80	—	0	0	0	0
Valid Votes		2,072,359	97.06	2,061,746	96.56	—
Informal votes		8,183	0.38	18,796	0.88	—
Disallowed votes		54,633	2.56	54,633	2.56	—
Total		2,135,175	100	2,135,175	100		55	65	120	21a
Eligible voters and Turnout		2,418,587	88.28	2,418,587	88.28	5.46

In addition to the registered parties listed above, a number of unregistered parties also contested the election. Being unregistered, they could not submit party lists (and thus receive party votes), but they could still stand candidates in individual electorates. Among the parties to do this were the Indigenous Peoples Party, the New Zealand Progressive Party (unrelated to the 2002–2012 party of the same name) and the Nga Iwi Morehu Movement. Most unregistered parties stood only a single candidate, with only four parties running in multiple electorates. In total, around 1,500 people voted for candidates from unregistered parties. In addition, 26 independents contested electorate seats. A total of 16,436 people voted for independent candidates. No candidate from an unregistered party or an independent candidate won an electorate seat.

Votes summary

Constituency Vote National   33.91% Labour   31.08% NZ First   13.49% Alliance   11.25% ACT   3.75% United   2.07% Christian Coalition   1.55% Others   2.90%

Party Vote National   33.87% Labour   28.19% NZ First   13.35% Alliance   10.10% ACT   6.10% Christian Coalition   4.33% Legalise Cannabis   1.66% United   0.88% Others   3.21%

Parliament seats National   36.67% Labour   30.83% NZ First   14.17% Alliance   10.83% ACT   6.67% United   0.83%

Electorate results

Party affiliation of winning electorate candidates.

No party managed to win a straight majority of the 65 electorates. The National Party, the governing party, was three seats short of a majority, gaining 30 seats. The Labour Party, in opposition, won 26 electorate seats. New Zealand First won six electorate seats, the highest number of any minor party for over 50 years.

The Alliance, ACT and United managed to win one electorate seat each. For United, this was a significant loss – established by break-away MPs from National and Labour, the party entered the election with seven seats, but only Peter Dunne managed to retain his position, being helped by National's decision not to field a candidate in his electorate of Ohariu-Belmont.

For the most part, traditional patterns prevailed when it came to the distribution of electorates – National performed best in rural areas, while Labour was strongest in the cities. A very significant departure from traditional patterns, however, was New Zealand First's capture of all five Maori seats, which had traditionally been Labour strongholds. Although Labour was to reclaim these seats in the subsequent election, Labour's monopoly was no longer so secure as it had been.

The table below shows the results of the 1996 general election:

Key

  National   Labour   Alliance   NZ First   ACT   United NZ   Mana Māori   Independent

Electorate results of the 1996 New Zealand general election^[12]

Electorate	Incumbent		Winner		Majority	Runner up		Third place
General electorates
Albany		Don McKinnon		Murray McCully	11,647		Terry Heffernan		Heather Ann McConachy
Aoraki	New electorate			Jim Sutton	2,932		Stuart Boag		Jenny Bloxham
Auckland Central		Sandra Lee		Judith Tizard	3,353		Sandra Lee		Shane Frith
Banks Peninsula	New electorate			David Carter	4,378		Ruth Dyson		Rod Donald
Bay of Plenty	New electorate			Tony Ryall	5,153		Peter Brown		Julie Tucker
Christchurch Central		Lianne Dalziel		Tim Barnett	653		Kerry Sutherland		Liz Gordon
Christchurch East	New electorate			Larry Sutherland	2,953		Sue McKenzie		Marie Venning
Clutha-Southland	New electorate			Bill English	9,053		Lesley Soper		Alan Wise
Coromandel	New electorate			Murray McLean	2,450		Jeanette Fitzsimons		Robyn McDonald
Dunedin North		Pete Hodgson			10,207		Margie Stevens		Jim Flynn
Dunedin South	New electorate			Michael Cullen	4,276		Leah McBay		Malcolm MacPherson
Epsom	New electorate			Christine Fletcher	20,642		Helen Duncan		Mary Tierney
Hamilton East		Dianne Yates		Tony Steel	2,347		Dianne Yates		Doug Woolerton
Hamilton West		Martin Gallagher		Bob Simcock	597		Martin Gallaghar		Neil Kirton
Hunua	New electorate			Warren Kyd	5,098		John Robertson		Paul Schofield
Hutt South	New electorate			Trevor Mallard	2,456		Joy McLauchlan		Peter Love
Ilam	New electorate			Gerry Brownlee	10,090		Eamon Daly		Margaret Austin
Invercargill		Mark Peck			4,235		Eric Roy		Owen Horton
Kaikoura	New electorate			Doug Kidd	5,912		Marian Hobbs		Tom Harrison
Karapiro	New electorate			John Luxton	9,367		Sue Moroney		Clive Mortensen
Mahia	New electorate			Janet Mackey	978		Wayne Kimber		Gordon Preston
Mana	New electorate			Graham Kelly	3,622		Allan Wells		Graham Harding
Mangere		David Lange		Taito Phillip Field	9,317		David Broome		Len Richards
Manukau East	New electorate			Ross Robertson	4,583		Ken Yee		Ngaire Clark
Manurewa		George Hawkins			8,573		Les Marinkovich		Roger Mail
Maungakiekie	New electorate			Belinda Vernon	228		Richard Northey		Matt Robson
Napier		Geoff Braybrooke			10,146		Kathryn Ward		Robin Gwynn
Nelson		John Blincoe		Nick Smith	12,424		John Blincoe		Mike Ward
New Lynn		Jonathan Hunt		Phil Goff	7,138		Richard Gardner		Cliff Robinson
New Plymouth		Harry Duynhoven			11,533		Roger Maxwell		Harry Slaats
North Shore		Bruce Cliffe		Wayne Mapp	10,348		Derek Quigley		Joel Cayford
Northcote	New electorate			Ian Revell	4,563		Ann Hartley		Grant Gillon
Northland	New electorate			John Carter	5,961		Ron Peters		Frank Grover
Ohariu-Belmont	New electorate			Peter Dunne	8,513		Verna Smith		Phillida Bunkle
Otago		Warren Cooper		Gavan Herlihy	7,005		Janet Yiakmis		Bruce Albiston
Otaki	New electorate			Judy Keall	988		Roger Sowry		Mike Smith
Owairaka	New electorate			Helen Clark	5,980		Phil Raffills		Jason Keiller
Pakuranga		Maurice Williamson			14,504		James Clarke		Robert Whooley
Palmerston North		Steve Maharey			11,030		George Mathew		Gerard Hehir
Port Waikato	New electorate			Bill Birch	7,002		John Forbes		Terry Hughes
Rakaia		Jenny Shipley			5,030		Geoff Stone		Colleen Page
Rangitikei		Denis Marshall			2,763		Jill White		Hamish MacIntyre
Rimutaka	New electorate			Paul Swain	2,878		Karyn Bisdee		Peter McCardle
Rodney	New electorate			Lockwood Smith	7,431		Mike Lee		David Gregory Gill
Rongotai	New electorate			Annette King	7,700		David Major		Bill Hamilton
Rotorua		Paul East		Max Bradford	5,896		Keith Ridings		Charles William Sturt
Tamaki		Clem Simich			8,010		Jonathan Hunt		Patricia Schnauer
Taranaki-King Country	New electorate			Jim Bolger	10,233		Robin Ord		Peter Calvert
Taupo	New electorate			Mark Burton	1,574		John McCarthy		Ian Peters
Tauranga		Winston Peters			8,028		Katherine O'Regan		Stephanie Hammond
Tukituki	New electorate			Rick Barker	7,226		Graeme Reeves		John Ormond
Waimakariri	New electorate			Mike Moore	10,606		Jim Gerard		John Wright
Waipareira	New electorate			Brian Neeson	107		Chris Carter		Jack Elder
Wairarapa		Wyatt Creech			7,867		Dave MacPherson		Lynette Stutz
Waitakere		Brian Neeson		Marie Hasler	1,981		Suzanne Sinclair		Liz Thomas
Wellington Central	New electorate			Richard Prebble	1,860		Alick Shaw		Mark Thomas
West Coast-Tasman	New electorate			Damien O'Connor	8,491		Margaret Moir		Richard Davies
Whanganui		Jill Pettis			2,214		Peter Gresham		Caroline Lampp
Whangarei		John Banks			383		Brian Donnelly		Kevin Grose
Wigram	New electorate			Jim Anderton	10,039		Angus McKay		Mick Ozimek
Māori electorates
Te Puku O Te Whenua	New electorate			Rana Waitai	2,386		Rino Tirikatene		David Rewi James
Te Tai Hauauru	New electorate			Tuku Morgan	4,961		Nanaia Mahuta		Te Pare Joseph
Te Tai Rawhiti	New electorate			Tuariki Delamere	4,215		Peter Tapsell		Tame Iti
Te Tai Tokerau	New electorate			Tau Henare	8,418		Joe Hawke		Peter Campbell
Te Tai Tonga	New electorate			Tu Wyllie	285		Whetu Tirikatene-Sullivan		Hone Kaiwai

List results

Main article: Party lists in the 1996 New Zealand general election

Highest polling party in each electorate.

National	Don McKinnon Paul East2 Doug Graham Georgina te Heuheu Katherine O'Regan Simon Upton Joy McLauchlan Roger Sowry Jim Gerard2 Arthur Anae Eric Roy Peter Gresham Roger Maxwell Pansy Wong
	Unsuccessful: Annabel Young1, Alec Neill1, Wayne Taitoko, David Major, Margie Stevens, Lindsay Tisch, Phil Raffills, Karyn Bisdee, Mark Thomas, Shane Frith, Margaret Moir, Paul Hutchison, Angus McKay, Stuart Boag, Rihari Dick Dargaville, Peta Butt, Wayne Kimber, Graeme Reeves, Sue McKenzie, George Mathew, Cliff Bedwell, Ken Yee, Kathryn Ward
Labour	Dover Samuels Lianne Dalziel Mark Gosche Jonathan Hunt Nanaia Mahuta Jill White2 Marian Hobbs Joe Hawke Dianne Yates Ruth Dyson Tariana Turia
	Unsuccessful: Helen Duncan1, John Blincoe, Martin Gallagher, Verna Smith, Matiu Dickson, Suzanne Sinclair, Richard Northey, Sue Moroney, Lesley Soper, Amanda Coulston, Lynette Stutz, Nellie Clay, Fa'amatuainu Tui, Bronwyn Maxwell, Geoff Stone, Bruce Raitt, Leo Mangos, Ishwar Ganda, Lorraine Wilson, Valerie Taylor, Norah Walker, Rosemary Michie, Ann Hartley, Trudi Sunitsch, Tamati Kruger, Geoff Rowling, John Forman, Jeanne Macaskill, David Munro, Gary Williams, Graham Elliot, Ben Cheah, Nathan Saminathan, Sunia Raitava, Hori Awa, Henry De Thierry
New Zealand First	Ann Batten Peter McCardle Jenny Bloxham Brian Donnelly Jack Elder Doug Woolerton Deborah Morris2 Ron Mark Neil Kirton Peter Brown Robyn McDonald
	Unsuccessful: Gilbert Myles1, Ian Peters, Graham Harding, Claire Bulman, Jason Keiller, Clive Mortensen, Bernard Downey, Nicci Bergman, Neil Benson, Ross Gluer, Janie Phillips, Terry Heffernan, Helen Broughton, Tom Harrison, John Forbes, Colleen Page, Robin Ord, David Gill, George Groombridge, Robert Whooley, Trevor Jans, Patra de Coudray, Lem Pearse, Keri Kingi, Stuart Spencer, Richard Whittaker, Charles Sturt, Ron Chamberlain, Gavin Logan, Gordon Preston, Henry Slaats, Owen Horton, Duncan Matthews, Roger Mail, Dawn Mullins, Alan Wise, Peter Woolston, Stan Perkins, Jack Tamihana, Noeline McGlynn, Ngaire Clark, Clem Huriwaka, Thomas Moana, Marlene Kennedy, John Riddell
Alliance	Sandra Lee Jeanette Fitzsimons John Wright Frank Grover Pam Corkery Matt Robson Laila Harré Phillida Bunkle Rod Donald Grant Gillon Alamein Kopu Liz Gordon
	Unsuccessful: Dave MacPherson, Hone Kaiwai, Mike Smith, Leah McBey, Heather-Ann McConnachy, Hamish MacIntyre, Willie Jackson, Tafa Mulitalo, Keith Ridings, Joel Cayford, Keith Locke, Jan Davey, Bill Hamilton, Caroline Lampp, Gerard Hehir, Trevor Barnard, Danna Glendining, Jim Flynn, Rex Verity, Vernon Tile, Marie Venning, Peter Campbell, John Kilbride, Mary Tierney, Liz Thomas, Ashok Parbhu, Sue Gaffy, Harry Alchin-Smith, Rosalie Steward, Sheryl Cadman, Celia Wade-Brown, Norman Wood, Moira Lawler, Mike Ward, Kevin Campbell, Richard Davies, Gary Barham, Christine Dann, Ian Ewen-Street, Robin Gwynn, Rewi James, Brendan Tracey, Bruce Stirling, John Pemberton, Te Pare Joseph, Graham Smith, Len Richards, Tracey Hicks, Mark Robertson, Brian Morris, Huia Mitchell, Francis Petchey
ACT	Derek Quigley Ken Shirley Donna Awatere Huata Patricia Schnauer Owen Jennings Rodney Hide Muriel Newman
	Unsuccessful: Anne Dill, John Ormond, Christopher Milne, Vincent Ashworth, Marilyn Thomas, Michael Steeneveld, Nigel Mattison, Peter Snow, Valerie Wilde, Merania Karauria, Jean Hill, Marlene Lamb, Owen Dance, Katharine Sillars, Heather Mackay, Kevin Rose, John Boscawen, Matthew Ball, Garry Mallett, Angus Ogilvie, Roland Henderson, Kieran Bird, Simon Harding, Tony Huston, Thomas Howard, Robin Clulee, Peggy Luke-Ngaheke, Barry Rushton, Dean Richardson, John Latimer, John Lithgow, John Thompson, Adrian Dixon, Derek Daniell, Stephen Gore, Neil Wilson, Graeme Williams, Kevin Mathewson, Stephen Wrathall, Ian McGimpsey, Louis Crimp, Barrie Barnes, Jeffrey Buchanan, Peter King-Talbot, Brian Dent, Stephen Depiazzi, Victor Bailey, Reginald Turner
Christian Coalition	Unsuccessful: Graeme Lee, Graham Capill, Annetta Moran, Ewen McQueen, John Jamieson, Grant Bradfield, Peter Yarrell, Julie Belding, Ian Tulloch, Mike Lloyd, Gael Donoghue, Geoff Hounsell, Murray Smith, Robin Corner, Rosemarie Thomas, Grant Bowater, Kevin Harper, Nick Barber, John Allen, Vic Jarvis, Alan Marshall, Rosemary Francis, Lindsay Bain, Helma Vermeulen, John Lawrence, Barrie Paterson, Selwyn Stevens, Wayne Chapman, Judith Phillips, Dennis Knox, Braden Matson, Geoff Francis, Kevin Honore, Maahi Tukapua, Neville Chamberlain, Renton Maclauchlan, Eleanor Goodall, Geoff Winter, Lindsay Priest, Barry Pepperell, Enosa Auva'a
Legalise Cannabis	Unsuccessful: Michael Appleby, Michael Finlayson, Donald McIntosh, Metiria Turei, Nándor Tánczos, Martin McCully, Gregory Cobb, Tim Shadbolt, Christopher Fowlie, Elsie Barnes, Richard Austin, Richard Arachnid, Vayna Tickle, Damian Joyce, Timothy Marshall, Joel Robinson, Honty Whaanga, Sarah Ahern, Robert Ueberfeldt
United	Unsuccessful: Clive Matthewson, Margaret Austin, John Robertson, Pauline Gardiner, Peter Hilt, Diane Colson, Ted Faleauto, Malcolm Hood, Ramparkash Samujh, Timothy Macindoe, Gail McIntosh, Frank Owen, Steven Bright, John Howie, Jacinta Grice, Keven Fleury, Graham Butterworth, Graeme Brown, Bryan Mockridge, Francis Ifopo, Jack Austin, Stuart Jordan, Derek Round, Neil Jury, John Hubscher, Brigitte Hicks-Willer, Michael Hilt, Gray Phillips
McGillicuddy Serious	Unsuccessful: Mark Servian, Penni Bousfield, Paull Cooke, K T Julian, Robyn West, Steve Richards, Val Smith, Bernard Smith, Paul Smith, Greg Smith, Gavin Smith, Wendy Howard, Justine Francis, Doug Mackie, Grant Knowles, Marc de Boer, Swami Anand Hasyo, Peter Caldwell, Tim Owens, Adrian Holroyd, Johnny Wharton, Craig Beere, Paul Beere, William Beere, Mike Legge, Adrienne Carthew, Ross Gardner, Graeme Minchin, Grant Prankered, Derek Craig, Alastair McGlinchy, Vanessa Carnevale, Rodney Hansen, Brent T Soper, Dave Dick, Alastair Ramsden, Judy van den Yssel-Richards, Barry Bryant, Beth Holland, Rory Cathcart, Richard Griffiths, Kerry Hoole, Heidi Borchardt, Peter Clark, Nick Harper, Carly Taylor, Dale Magnus Taylor, Anthony Hobbs, Cassandra Church, Julia Johnson, Jono Baddiley, Johana Sanders, Brett Robinson, Geoff Burnett, Leanne Ireland, Tim Foster, Gary Young, Karen Nicholas, Layton, Anna Murray, Phil Clayton, Mark Baxter, Toni-Ann Alsop, David Sutcliffe, Graeme Cairns
Progressive Greens	Unsuccessful: Rob Fenwick, Gary Taylor, Alison Davis, Mark Bellingham, Laurence Boomert, Rodger Spiller, Gwenny Davis, Eithne Hanley, Peter Lee, Guy Salmon, David Green, Matthew Horrocks, Chris Marshall, Bob McKegg, Kevin Prime
Mana Maori	Unsuccessful: Angeline Greensill, Tame Iti, Moana Sinclair, Hone Harawira, Mereana Pitman, David Gilgin, Jackie Amohanga, Ken Mair, Joyce Te Hemara Maipi, Oneroa Pihema, Te Anau Tuiono, Waiariki Grace, Jim Perry, Diane Prince, Kelly Pene, Rachael Raimona, Mere Grant, Jack John Smith
Animals First	Unsuccessful: Rosemary Cumming, Susan Walker, Terri Walsh, Virginia Woolf, Adrienne Hall, Peter Crosse, Alistair McKellow
Natural Law	Unsuccessful: Bryan Lee, David Lovell-Smith, John Hodgson, John Cleary, Mere Austin, Penelope Donovan, Gail Pianta, Mark Watts, Guy Hatchard, Tony Martin, Warwick Jones, Graeme Kettle, Judy Boock, Daniel Meares, Richard Moreham, lan Gaustad, Mimousse Hodgson, Bruce Brown, Mary-Anne McGregor, Graeme Lodge, Mike Barthelmeh, Kevin O'Brien, Inga Schader, Lynne Patterson, Kay Morgan, Tom Hopwood, Martyn Ouseley, Andrew Sanderson, Bruce Sowry, Sean O'Connor, Raymond Cain, Ian Levingston, Greg Dodds, Carolyn Drake, Raylene Lodge, Angela Wood, Grant Bilyard, Frank Gwynne, Michelle McGregor, Helen Treadwell, Mark Rayner, Selwyn Austin, Kevin Harvey, Ken Thomas, Mike Dunn, John Blatchford, Belinda Hills, Tim Irwin, Wayne Shepherd, Faye McLaren, Royal Van der Werf, Martin Davy, Jan Flynn, Gilbert Urquhart, Ian Smillie, Andrew Davy, Leigh Bush, Anne Brigid, Joanna Greig, Angela Slade, Jacque Hughes, Lew Cormack, Les McGrath, Rhonda Comins, Lynne Lee
Ethnic Minority	Unsuccessful: Robert Hum, Vinod Kumar Sharma, Glen A van der Boon-Brayshaw, Pathic Vyas, Marcial R Eleazar, Tin Yau Chan, Seth M Dalgleish, Christine Wong, Navinbhai Parbhubhai Patel, Rajiv Sood, Lindsay Harris
Green Society	Unsuccessful: Simon Reeves, Peter Whitmore, Merete Molving, Hans Grueber, Sam Cunningham, Vic Albion, Bryan Pippen, Colin Amery, Stephanie Urlich, Bradley Heising, Jacqueline Tong
Conservatives	Unsuccessful: Trevor Rogers, Margaret McHugh, Eric Werder, Dennis Quirke, Bob Vine, David Gettins, Simone Graham, David Lean, Steve Howard, Hohn Bracey, John Tinsley, Bill Perry, Carmel Crowe, Bruce Herbert, Merv Jull, Craig Lewis, Tom Maunder, Jim Howard, Arthur French, Jerry Hohneck
Superannuitants and Youth	Unsuccessful: John Cronin, Trevor Gilligan, Jack Powell, Leslie Stroud, Karen Kirk, Peter Little, Bernon Bryne, Kathleen Collinge, Douglas Milne, Donald Chapman, Cyril Murphy, Kenneth Crafar
Advance New Zealand	Unsuccessful: England So'onalole, James Prescott, Taimalelagi Tofilau, Afamasaga Rasmussen, Eric Chuah, Hinemoa Herewini, Fauila Tatu Williams, Manu Prescott, Ben Taufua, Dawn Ngature
Libertarianz	Unsuccessful: Lindsay Perigo, Deborah Coddington, Ian Fraser, Peter Cresswell, Peter Eichmann, Keith Patterson, John Calvert, Simon Fraser, Nikolas Haden, Jessica Weddell, Glen Jameson, Paul Rousell, William Trolove, Scott Barnett, Robert White, Andrew Ayling, Anna Woolf, Paul Hendry, Don Rowberry, Derek McGovern, Barbara Jury, Philip Petch, Theo Van Oostrom, Jackie Van Oostrom
Asia Pacific United	Unsuccessful: Mano'o Mulitalo, Rama Ramanathan, Peti Satiu, Arbutus Mitikulena, Fu Bihua, Tuli Wong-Kee, Angela Tuu, Mailo Pesamino, Pulumulo Sasa
Te Tawharau	Unsuccessful: William Coates, Koro Wikeepa, Hawea Vercoe, John Maihi, Steven Te Kani, Rangitukehu Paora

Notes

1. These party list members later entered parliament in the term as other list MPs elected resigned from parliament.
2. These party list members later resigned during the parliamentary term.

Summary of seat changes

• Seats captured:
  • By National: Hamilton East, Hamilton West and Nelson were captured from Labour. North Shore was captured from United.
  • By Labour: Auckland Central was captured from the Alliance.
• Seats transferred from departing MPs to new MPs:
  • The seats of Albany, Otago, Rotorua and Waitakere, all held by departing National MPs, were won by new National candidates. One departing MP retired, one was re-elected in a different electorate, and two became list MPs.
  • The seats of Christchurch Central, Mangere and New Lynn, all held by departing Labour MPs, were won by new Labour candidates. One departing MP retired and two became list MPs.

Further reading

• Vowles, Jack; Aimer, Peter; Banducci, Susan; et al., eds. (1998). Voters' Victory? New Zealand's First Election under Proportional Representation. Auckland University Press. ISBN 1-86940-180-8.
• Armstrong, David (1997). True Colours: On the road to NZ's first MMP government. Auckland NZ: David Bateman.

Notes

1. "More Māori in Parliament: Sandra Lee reflects on introduction of MMP". RNZ. 13 October 2021. Retrieved 12 August 2023.
2. https://teara.govt.nz/en/nga-mangai-maori-representation/print#:~:text=Increased%20M%C4%81ori%20representation,First%20MPs%20were%20re%2Delected.
3. Electoral Act 1993 (Act 87). 17 August 1993. Archived from the original on 10 July 2015. Retrieved 30 June 2015.
4. McRobie 1989, pp. 111, 123.
5. "How Electorates are Calculated". Electoral Commission. 12 March 2013. Retrieved 29 June 2015.
6. The Baubles of Office: The New Zealand General Election of 2005 p87, edited by Stephen Levine & Nigel S Roberts (2007, Victoria University Press, Wellington) ISBN 978-0-86473-539-3
7. New Zealand Votes: The General Election of 2002 p22 edited by Jonathan Boston, Stephen Church, Stephen Levine, Elizabeth McLeay & Nigel S. Roberts (2003, Victoria University Press, Wellington) ISBN 0-86473-468-9
8. "Kiwis react to Winston Peters, the kingmaker".
9. "A decade of MMP: 1996 election left country hanging". The New Zealand Herald. 11 October 2006. Retrieved 2 April 2015.
10. The 1996 General Election in New Zealand: Proportional Representation and Political Change, edited by Jonathan Boston, Stephen Levine, Elizabeth McLeay and Nigel S. Roberts (1997, Australian Institute of Policy and Science, Australia)
11. "1996 GENERAL ELECTION – OFFICIAL RESULTS AND STATISTICS". ElectionResults.govt.nz. Electoral Commission. 18 October 2020.
12. "Part VI – Elected Candidates Votes" (PDF). New Zealand Chief Electoral Office. 1996. Retrieved 3 September 2017.

References

• McRobie, Alan (1989). Electoral Atlas of New Zealand. Wellington: GP Books. ISBN 0-477-01384-8.

External links

• 1996 General Election - Official Results and Statistics, Chief Electoral Office, New Zealand Ministry of Justice.