New Zealand Labour Party

The New Zealand Labour Party is a centre-left political party that was originally founded in 1916. While its platform programme officially states the party is founded on the principles of democratic socialism, most New Zealanders generally view Labour as being social-democratic in nature. Along with the New Zealand National Party, Labour is one of the nation’s most dominant political parties. There have been six different Labour governments led by a total of ten Labour prime ministers by 2020. Labour first rose to prominence under the leadership of prime ministers Michael Joseph Savage and Peter Fraser in the 1930s and 1940s. At the time, the party succeeded in establishing New Zealand’s welfare state. Labour periodically returned to power in the decades that followed. By 2008, Labour was the second-largest caucus in the House of Representatives. Labour formed a new government once again under the leadership of Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern in 2017 and remained in power with Ardern at the helm following the 2020 elections. In 2023, the party lost its majority and returned to the Opposition. That same year, Chris Hipkins became the party's leader.

Background

Political parties are an important part of New Zealand’s democratic national political system. Parties vie for power by competing for seats in Parliament. These seats are contested in regular elections during which each party seeks to win as many votes as possible. In each general election, voters have the opportunity to cast an electoral vote and a party vote. In order to win seats in Parliament, a party must win electoral seats or at least five percent of the party vote.

In order to understand how New Zealand’s political parties gain or lose power, it is first necessary to understand the difference between electoral and party votes. Each voter casts their electoral vote for the specific candidate they most want to represent their electorate. In a given election, each party selects candidates to run for office in a particular electorate. At the end of the election, the candidates with the highest number of votes in each electorate officially become electorate MPs. While many candidates in general elections and by-elections stand in an electorate on behalf of registered parties like Labour, some also choose to stand as independents or on behalf of unregistered parties. Unlike electoral votes, party votes are not awarded to individual candidates. Instead, voters cast their party vote for the party they most want to represent them in government. In this part of an election, each party assembles a list of candidates for potential seats in Parliament. The number of candidates from these lists that ultimately become MPs is determined by the share of the party vote that each party wins. In other words, the parties that receive the largest proportions of the party vote win the largest number of seats in Parliament. All candidates elected to Parliament from party lists are known as list MPs.

There are several main parties in New Zealand’s modern political environment. Aside from Labour, the largest and most powerful of these parties is the National Party, which is primarily known for supporting free trade and increased government support of industry. Other major parties include the Green Party, the ACT Party and the Māori Party.

Overview

New Zealand’s oldest surviving political party, Labour has a long history that stretches back to the early twentieth century. Labour was first formed when a number of left-wing political organisations and trade unions came together to create a new party in 1916. This party, dubbed the Labour Party, united a large portion of New Zealand’s political left that ran the gamut from liberals to militant socialists. The range of views included under the Labour banner helped the party to its first successes, which included winning eight parliamentary seats in 1919 and seventeen in 1922.

Labour’s steady growth continued through the 1920s and into the 1930s, by which time the party earned official status as the recognised parliamentary opposition. Labour gained the majority for the first time when it won fifty-three seats in 1935 and formed its first government under Prime Minister Michael Joseph Savage. The party subsequently remained in power until 1949. During that period, Labour maintained a focus on welfare legislation, enacting such measures as social security, compulsory unionism and price and trade regulations.

After only intermittently holding power for brief periods between the 1950s and the mid-1970s, Labour took control of New Zealand’s government on a more permanent basis starting in 1984. From then until 1990, Labour controlled formed governments under the leadership of prime ministers David Lange, Geoffrey Palmer and Mike Moore. Helen Clark ascended to become Labour’s leader in 1993 and, despite internal divisions that arose shortly thereafter, eventually helped the party to become Parliament’s largest in 1999. That same year, she became prime minister as Labour formed a government for the first time in almost a decade. After falling to the National Party in 2008, Labour went through a prolonged down period before eventually returning to power with Jacinda Ardern in 2017. It then returned to the opposition in 2023, when Chris Hipkins took control of the party.

Labour’s political platform is strongly left-leaning and focused on providing access to jobs, public services, education and healthcare. Among other things, Labour believes in equal opportunity, co-operation, responsible resource management, social justice and basic human rights.

Labour incorporates a distinct party structure featuring a number of unique components. General and special branches represent the interests of specific groups of party members. Affiliated trade unions help keep the party connected to the broader labour movement. Labour’s Electorate Committees coordinate local events and allow elected officials to report back on their work. Labour Local Body Committees coordinate local electorate events and more. Labour Regional Councils hold a variety of regional events. The New Zealand Council is Labour’s chief governing body. It operates through the General Secretary and Head Office and includes representatives from each region, the party’s affiliates, sectors and Labour’s parliamentary caucus. All of this makes it possible for Labour to develop policy, run campaigns and represent people from across New Zealand.

Bibliography

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Cole, Alison. “An Idiot’s Guide to New Zealand’s Political Parties.” Vice, 17 Aug. 2017, www.vice.com/en/article/9kkb73/an-idiots-guide-to-new-zealands-political-parties. Accessed 24 Jan. 2025.

“History of the Labour Party.” Labour, 2020, www.labour.org.nz/history. Accessed 24 Jan. 2025.

“Labour Party.” New Zealand Parliament, 2020, www.parliament.nz/en/mps-and-electorates/political-parties/labour-party. Accessed 24 Jan. 2025.

“Party Information.” Labour, 2020, www.labour.org.nz/party‗info. Accessed 24 Jan. 2025.

Perry, Nick. "Defeated New Zealand Prime Minister Chris Hipkins Will Remain Leader of His Labour Party." AP, 17 Oct. 2023, apnews.com/article/new-zealand-election-hipkins-luxon-little-ardern-2b13e786ed8d2fadec886d9ab31da2d6. Accessed 24 Jan. 2025.

“Political Parties in New Zealand.” Electoral Commission, 2020, elections.nz/democracy-in-nz/political-parties-in-new-zealand. Accessed 24 Jan. 2025.

Schwartz, Matthew S. “New Zealand PM Ardern Wins Re-Election In Best Showing for Labour Party in Decades.” NPR, 17 Oct. 2020, www.npr.org/2020/10/17/924934728/new-zealand-pm-ardern-wins-re-election-in-best-showing-for-labour-party-in-decad. Accessed 24 Jan. 2025.