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Alliance (New Zealand political party)
Encyclopedia
The Alliance is a left-wing political party in New Zealand
. It was formed in 1991, and was influential in the 1990s, but has since declined and has no representation in parliament. It suffered a major setback after Jim Anderton
, the party's leader, left the party in 2002, taking several of the party's MPs. After the remaining MPs lost their seats in the 2002 election
, some commentators predicted the demise of the party. The Alliance stood candidates in the 2005 election
but won less than 1% of the party vote. The Alliance contested Auckland City
Council elections under the City Vision
banner, in concert with the New Zealand Labour Party and Green Party. The Alliance ran 15 electorate candidates and a total of 30 candidates on the party list in the 2008 election
, increasing its party vote marginally from 2005.
, free healthcare, the elimination of unemployment
, and the maintenance of the welfare state
. It also has an emphasis on women's rights
, environmentalism
, and Māori rights. It supports New Zealand's nuclear-free policy and believes that New Zealand should not participate in military actions in Afghanistan and Iraq. The Alliance stands for proportional representation.
, seeing the tax as unfair because the amount paid does not vary according to the purchaser's ability to afford it. It also supports a financial transactions tax or Tobin tax
, and in recent years has supported a capital gains tax
.
Alliance economic policies include proposals to focus more on regional development and on local economic planning, rather than on "big business". The Alliance opposes the privatization of public assets and the sale of non-urban land to foreign buyers.
, established by former Labour Party
politician Jim Anderton
. The oldest was the Democratic Party
(originally known as the Social Credit Political League
, and dedicated to Social Credit
policies). The others were Mana Motuhake
(a Māori party) and the Greens
(an environmentalist party).
Until his departure from Labour in 1989, Anderton had been the most vocal Labour MP in his criticism of his party's new direction. Led by Roger Douglas
, the Minister of Finance
, Labour had adopted radical policies of economic liberalization, free trade, and privatization of state assets - sharply in contrast both with the party's background and its campaign promises. This was deeply unpopular both with a section of the public and with ordinary members, but Douglas and his allies, without effective constraint by Prime Minister
David Lange
, pressed on with the reforms. Anderton, despite heavy pressure from the party authorities, refused to vote in favour of the measures, and eventually quit the party. He contested the 1990 elections
under the banner of NewLabour, a party he quickly established. He successfully retained his electorate seat, becoming the first MP to leave a party and not lose their position in the next elections.
NewLabour, the Democrats, and Mana Motuhake, all of which opposed the platform set out by Douglas, gradually began to work together to fight their common political opposition. Initially, this co-operation was limited, but expanded after a joint candidate was successful in an Auckland local-body election. The Greens, who had policies and electoral support, but not party organization, also took notice.
On 1 December 1991, NewLabour, the Greens, the Democrats, and Mana Motuhake formally agreed to establish the Alliance as an official party. This established the three original pillars of Alliance policy - left-wing economics (represented by NewLabour and the Democrats), environmentalism (represented by the Greens), and Māori issues (represented by Mana Motuhake).
Shortly after the official establishment of the Alliance, a small splinter group from the National Party
applied to join. This group, known as the Liberal Party (not to be confused with the original Liberal Party
), consisted of two former National Party MPs who were disillusioned with the continuation of Douglas's policies by National's Ruth Richardson
. The Liberals became the fifth member of the Alliance.
There were also discussions regarding the Alliance's links with Winston Peters
, a former National MP who founded the New Zealand First
party. Peters was also opposed to the economic reforms being undertaken, was hostile towards big business, and claimed to support ordinary New Zealanders, but was also highly conservative
in his social policies. In particular, his views on immigration
were incompatible with the Alliance's belief in multiculturalism. There were also problems regarding who would lead any merged entity - both the Alliance's Anderton and New Zealand First's Peters were well regarded for standing up to their old parties, leaving it unclear which of them should be senior. (Some have also claimed that neither Anderton nor Peters would accept being ranked second - both politicians are sometimes accused by their critics of being egotistical and controlling). Regardless of the reason, the Alliance and New Zealand First did not move together.
. The former stronghold of Robert Muldoon
, a conservative National Party leader, Tamaki was not regarded as an easy run for the Alliance. It was, therefore, surprising when the Alliance nearly won the seat, pushing Labour into third place. Later that year, the Alliance gained control of Auckland's regional council. These two performances helped establish the Alliance as a significant threat to the major parties.
In the 1993 elections
, the Alliance gained 18% of the vote. However, the electoral system meant that the party only won two seats - one delivered by Jim Anderton, and the other by Sandra Lee-Vercoe
in Auckland. Occurring at the same time as this election, however, was the referendum which introduced the MMP
electoral system, making it much easier for smaller parties to get representation. The Alliance was a strong supporter of this change.
In 1994, Jim Anderton left the leadership of the Alliance, citing family reasons. Sandra Lee-Vercoe was placed in charge of the party. Later, however, Anderton was persuaded to return, and resumed the leadership.
, the Alliance gained 10% of the vote. Under the new electoral system, this secured the party thirteen MPs. New Zealand First, however, had obtained seventeen MPs, and held the balance of power between Labour and National. Eventually, New Zealand First leader Winston Peters opted to form a coalition with National, leaving both Labour and the Alliance in opposition.
The Labour Party, now led by Helen Clark
, had moved away from the policies of Roger Douglas - both Douglas and his strongest supporter, Richard Prebble
, had left Labour to found the ACT party, and Clark's more traditional faction had taken over. This allowed a gradual reconciliation between Labour and the Alliance, a process assisted by the impression that lack of cooperation had cost both parties support. Eventually, this led to an agreement between the two parties, with both sides agreeing to cooperate in forming a government should election results allow it.
In 1997, the Greens decided that they would leave the Alliance at the next election, believing that they could perform better individually. Other developments in the Alliance's makeup included the formal dissolution of both the NewLabour Party and the Liberal Party, with their members becoming members of the Alliance as a whole rather than of any specific constituent party. This left the Democrats and Mana Motuhake as the only parts of the Alliance with distinct identities.
In the 1999 elections
, the Alliance gained around 8% of the vote, giving it ten seats. This, combined with Labour's forty-nine seats and some support from the Greens, was enough to form a government. Jim Anderton became Deputy Prime Minister
, and three other Alliance MPs gained positions in Cabinet
. The Alliance claims to have made a number of significant achievements while in government, citing (among other things) the creation of the Ministry of Economic Development, the lifting of the minimum wage
, a change in funding systems for schools, and abolition of market rents for state housing
. The party also claims to have exerted an important general influence over other governmental decisions.
.
Eventually, Anderton decided to leave the Alliance and establish a new party. However, rules regarding changes of party allegiance meant that Anderton and his allies could not officially resign from the Alliance without also resigning from parliament, which they were unwilling to do. This led to the awkward situation of Anderton and his allies technically remaining part of the Alliance while actually operating outside of it. The conflict within the Alliance was one of the reasons cited by Helen Clark for her calling elections several months early in 2002.
Anderton, along with three other Alliance MPs, established the Progressive Coalition Party (later just the Progressive Party
). Three Alliance MPs, led by Laila Harré
, chose to remain with the Alliance. The remaining three MPs (two supporting Anderton, one supporting Harré) decided not to stand for parliament again. The Democrats, one of the two Alliance components still having a separate identity, chose to follow Anderton, while Mana Motuhake, the other, chose to stay. Labour was largely successful in avoiding being drawn into the dispute.
, the Alliance and the Progressives competed against each other. The Alliance, believing that it would struggle to reach 5% (the threshold for a party being awarded representation proportional to its support), needed to win an electorate seat to gain entry to parliament. It chose to focus on Waitakere
(contested by Harré) and Tainui (contested by Willie Jackson, leader of Mana Motuhake). In both seats, however, the Alliance came second, losing each time to a Labour candidate, and so failed to gain parliamentary representation. In the list vote the party failed to meet the threshold gaining only 1.27% of the Party vote.
After the election, Mana Motuhake chose to leave the Alliance. This left the Alliance without any component parties - all members are now simply members of the Alliance as a whole.
Laila Harré stepped down as the party's leader on 30 November 2003, and was replaced by Matt McCarten
, the party president who clashed with Anderton. McCarten advocated a policy which would see the Alliance focus less on electoral activity and more on playing a co-ordinating role — he has been a particularly strong advocate of working with the new Māori Party
, which the Alliance had been involved with and practically supported during Tariana Turia's by-election campaign and the Maori Party launch. There was a debate within the Alliance, given the poll ratings of less than 1%, as to whether the Alliance should contest the list vote in the 2005 elections
, or instead only stand in electorate seats and encourage its supporters to use their list vote to support the Greens
or the Māori Party. Jill Ovens
, a former candidate and the new party president, was critical of McCarten's support of the Māori Party, saying that working both for the Alliance and the Māori Party at the same time represented a conflict of interest and resigned at one stage over the issue (Ovens subsequently joined the Labour Party in 2006). When no agreement could be reached on the electoral strategy McCarten and Harré dissassociated themselves from the Alliance. Gerard Hehir, the outgoing General Secretary, informed the Electoral Commission that the Alliance no longer had the five hundred financial members required for registration. In late 2004 McCarten was replaced as leader by two co-leaders, Jill Ovens and Paul Piesse
and the party's remaining membership voted to contest the list vote.
In the 2005 elections
the Alliance gained only 0.07% of the Party vote, placing 12th of the parties.
, the Alliance continued after their 2005 conference with two co-leaders Paul Piesse
and Len Richards.
At the 2006 conference held in Wellington, no co-leaders were elected with the party deciding to concentrate on internal reorganization. Victor Billot
was elected President. At the 2007 national conference, held in Dunedin, two co-leaders were elected, Victor Billot
and Kay Murray, with Paul Piesse
returning to his former role as Party President. Speakers at the 2007 national conference included political commentator Chris Trotter
and publisher Jack Yan
. The Alliance stated its intention to run a list of candidates and electorate candidates in the 2008 general elections. In April 2008 the party had between 500 and 600 members.
During the process of regroupment since the 2005 election the Alliance has reaffirmed its role as a broad left-wing political party committed to contesting both electorate seats and a party list. The party continues to release an annual alternative budget, prepared by the Alliance spokesperson on tax, the academic and intelligence researcher James R. Flynn
. In 2008 the Alliance adopted a new logo designed by Jack Yan & Associates to signal the changes it has undergone and its intention for renewal and rebuilding.
In the 2008 election
the Alliance fielded candidates in all major New Zealand centres, contesting 15 electorate seats and running a party list of 30 candidates under the co-leaders Kay Murray and Andrew McKenzie. The party managed to marginally improve its party vote to 1,721, amounting to 0.08 percent of the party vote and placing the Alliance 7th out of 12 extra-parliamentary parties. The Alliance candidate for Dunedin North, Victor Billot, gathered 448 electorate votes, placing him 6th in that electorate.
After the election of the fifth National government on 8 November 2008, the Alliance pledged to "play a leading role in resisting the attacks against public services, workers, beneficiaries and students that will be a feature of the new National Government."
The party unsuccessfully contested the 2011 election
, gaining just 1,069 votes - the lowest of any registered party.
From 1993:
From 1996:
From 1999:
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
. It was formed in 1991, and was influential in the 1990s, but has since declined and has no representation in parliament. It suffered a major setback after Jim Anderton
Jim Anderton
James Patrick Anderton, usually known as Jim Anderton , is the leader of the Progressive Party, a New Zealand political party. He has served in Parliament since 1984. He served as Deputy Prime Minister from 1999 to 2002 and is currently also the sitting Father of the House, the longest...
, the party's leader, left the party in 2002, taking several of the party's MPs. After the remaining MPs lost their seats in the 2002 election
New Zealand general election, 2002
The 2002 New Zealand general election was held on 27 July 2002 to determine the composition of the 47th New Zealand Parliament. It saw the reelection of Helen Clark's Labour Party government, as well as the worst-ever performance by the opposition National Party.Arguably the most controversial...
, some commentators predicted the demise of the party. The Alliance stood candidates in the 2005 election
New Zealand general election, 2005
The 2005 New Zealand general election held on 17 September 2005 determined the composition of the 48th New Zealand Parliament. No party won a majority in the unicameral House of Representatives, but the Labour Party of Prime Minister Helen Clark secured two more seats than nearest rival, the...
but won less than 1% of the party vote. The Alliance contested Auckland City
Auckland City
Auckland City was the city and local authority covering the Auckland isthmus and most of the islands of the Hauraki Gulf, in the North Island of New Zealand. On 1 November 2010 it was amalgamated into the wider Auckland Region under the authority of the new Auckland Council...
Council elections under the City Vision
City Vision (Auckland, New Zealand political ticket)
City Vision is a coalition of three left-wing political parties and independent political identities who contest Auckland Council elections every triennium...
banner, in concert with the New Zealand Labour Party and Green Party. The Alliance ran 15 electorate candidates and a total of 30 candidates on the party list in the 2008 election
New Zealand general election, 2008
The 2008 New Zealand general election was held on 8 November 2008 to determine the composition of the 49th New Zealand parliament. The conservative National Party, headed by its Parliamentary leader John Key, won a plurality of votes and seats, ending 9 years of government dominated by the social...
, increasing its party vote marginally from 2005.
Policies
A strongly left-wing party, the Alliance supports free educationEducation
Education in its broadest, general sense is the means through which the aims and habits of a group of people lives on from one generation to the next. Generally, it occurs through any experience that has a formative effect on the way one thinks, feels, or acts...
, free healthcare, the elimination of unemployment
Unemployment
Unemployment , as defined by the International Labour Organization, occurs when people are without jobs and they have actively sought work within the past four weeks...
, and the maintenance of the welfare state
Welfare state
A welfare state is a "concept of government in which the state plays a key role in the protection and promotion of the economic and social well-being of its citizens. It is based on the principles of equality of opportunity, equitable distribution of wealth, and public responsibility for those...
. It also has an emphasis on women's rights
Women's rights
Women's rights are entitlements and freedoms claimed for women and girls of all ages in many societies.In some places these rights are institutionalized or supported by law, local custom, and behaviour, whereas in others they may be ignored or suppressed...
, environmentalism
Environmentalism
Environmentalism is a broad philosophy, ideology and social movement regarding concerns for environmental conservation and improvement of the health of the environment, particularly as the measure for this health seeks to incorporate the concerns of non-human elements...
, and Māori rights. It supports New Zealand's nuclear-free policy and believes that New Zealand should not participate in military actions in Afghanistan and Iraq. The Alliance stands for proportional representation.
Fiscal and economic
The party supports progressive taxation, which would mean higher tax for wealthier people and lower taxation for poorer people. It also supports the removal of the Goods and Services TaxGoods and Services Tax (New Zealand)
Goods and Services Tax is a value added tax introduced in New Zealand on 1 October 1986 at 10%. It later increased to 12.5% on 1 July 1989 and was further increased to 15% on 1 October 2010....
, seeing the tax as unfair because the amount paid does not vary according to the purchaser's ability to afford it. It also supports a financial transactions tax or Tobin tax
Tobin tax
A Tobin tax, suggested by Nobel Laureate economist James Tobin, was originally defined as a tax on all spot conversions of one currency into another...
, and in recent years has supported a capital gains tax
Capital gains tax
A capital gains tax is a tax charged on capital gains, the profit realized on the sale of a non-inventory asset that was purchased at a lower price. The most common capital gains are realized from the sale of stocks, bonds, precious metals and property...
.
Alliance economic policies include proposals to focus more on regional development and on local economic planning, rather than on "big business". The Alliance opposes the privatization of public assets and the sale of non-urban land to foreign buyers.
Foundation
The Alliance was formed at the end of 1991 as an alliance of four parties. The largest of the four was the NewLabour PartyNewLabour Party (New Zealand)
NewLabour was a left-of-centre party founded in 1989 by Jim Anderton, an MP and former President of the New Zealand Labour Party.NewLabour was established by a number of Labour Party members who left the party in reaction to "Rogernomics", the economic policies implemented by the Labour Party's...
, established by former Labour Party
New Zealand Labour Party
The New Zealand Labour Party is a New Zealand political party. It describes itself as centre-left and socially progressive and has been one of the two primary parties of New Zealand politics since 1935....
politician Jim Anderton
Jim Anderton
James Patrick Anderton, usually known as Jim Anderton , is the leader of the Progressive Party, a New Zealand political party. He has served in Parliament since 1984. He served as Deputy Prime Minister from 1999 to 2002 and is currently also the sitting Father of the House, the longest...
. The oldest was the Democratic Party
New Zealand Democratic Party
The New Zealand Democratic Party for Social Credit is a small leftist political party in New Zealand. It is based around the ideas of Social Credit, an economic theory which also attracted some degree of support in Canada and Australia...
(originally known as the Social Credit Political League
Social Credit Party (New Zealand)
The New Zealand Social Credit Party was a political party which served as the country's "third party" from the 1950s through into the 1980s. The party held a number of seats in the New Zealand Parliament, although never more than two at a time...
, and dedicated to Social Credit
Social Credit
Social Credit is an economic philosophy developed by C. H. Douglas , a British engineer, who wrote a book by that name in 1924. Social Credit is described by Douglas as "the policy of a philosophy"; he called his philosophy "practical Christianity"...
policies). The others were Mana Motuhake
Mana Motuhake
Mana Māori Motuhake was a Māori political party in New Zealand. The name is difficult to translate accurately, but essentially refers to Māori self-rule and self-determination — mana, in this context, can be understood as "authority" or "power", while motuhake can be understood as...
(a Māori party) and the Greens
Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand
The Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand is a political party that has seats in the New Zealand parliament. It focuses firstly on environmentalism, arguing that all other aspects of humanity will cease to be of concern if there is no environment to sustain it...
(an environmentalist party).
Until his departure from Labour in 1989, Anderton had been the most vocal Labour MP in his criticism of his party's new direction. Led by Roger Douglas
Roger Douglas
Sir Roger Owen Douglas , is a New Zealand politician who formerly served as a senior New Zealand Labour Party Cabinet minister. He became arguably best-known for his prominent role in the radical economic restructuring undertaken by the Fourth Labour Government during the 1980s...
, the Minister of Finance
Minister of Finance (New Zealand)
The Minister of Finance is a senior figure within the government of New Zealand. The position is often considered to be the most important Cabinet role after that of the Prime Minister....
, Labour had adopted radical policies of economic liberalization, free trade, and privatization of state assets - sharply in contrast both with the party's background and its campaign promises. This was deeply unpopular both with a section of the public and with ordinary members, but Douglas and his allies, without effective constraint by Prime Minister
Prime Minister of New Zealand
The Prime Minister of New Zealand is New Zealand's head of government consequent on being the leader of the party or coalition with majority support in the Parliament of New Zealand...
David Lange
David Lange
David Russell Lange, ONZ, CH , served as the 32nd Prime Minister of New Zealand from 1984 to 1989. He headed New Zealand's fourth Labour Government, one of the most reforming administrations in his country's history, but one which did not always conform to traditional expectations of a...
, pressed on with the reforms. Anderton, despite heavy pressure from the party authorities, refused to vote in favour of the measures, and eventually quit the party. He contested the 1990 elections
New Zealand general election, 1990
The 1990 New Zealand general election was held on 27 October to determine the composition of the 43rd New Zealand parliament. The governing Labour Party was defeated, ending its controversial two terms in office...
under the banner of NewLabour, a party he quickly established. He successfully retained his electorate seat, becoming the first MP to leave a party and not lose their position in the next elections.
NewLabour, the Democrats, and Mana Motuhake, all of which opposed the platform set out by Douglas, gradually began to work together to fight their common political opposition. Initially, this co-operation was limited, but expanded after a joint candidate was successful in an Auckland local-body election. The Greens, who had policies and electoral support, but not party organization, also took notice.
On 1 December 1991, NewLabour, the Greens, the Democrats, and Mana Motuhake formally agreed to establish the Alliance as an official party. This established the three original pillars of Alliance policy - left-wing economics (represented by NewLabour and the Democrats), environmentalism (represented by the Greens), and Māori issues (represented by Mana Motuhake).
Shortly after the official establishment of the Alliance, a small splinter group from the National Party
New Zealand National Party
The New Zealand National Party is the largest party in the New Zealand House of Representatives and in November 2008 formed a minority government with support from three minor parties.-Policies:...
applied to join. This group, known as the Liberal Party (not to be confused with the original Liberal Party
New Zealand Liberal Party
The New Zealand Liberal Party is generally regarded as having been the first real political party in New Zealand. It governed from 1891 until 1912. Out of office, the Liberals gradually found themselves pressed between the conservative Reform Party and the growing Labour Party...
), consisted of two former National Party MPs who were disillusioned with the continuation of Douglas's policies by National's Ruth Richardson
Ruth Richardson
Ruth Richardson served as New Zealand's Minister of Finance from 1990 to 1993, and is known for her strong pursuit of free-market economic reforms .-Early life:...
. The Liberals became the fifth member of the Alliance.
There were also discussions regarding the Alliance's links with Winston Peters
Winston Peters
Winston Raymond Peters is a New Zealand politician and leader of New Zealand First, a political party he founded in 1993. Peters has had a turbulent political career since entering Parliament in 1978. He served as Minister of Maori Affairs in the Bolger National Party Government before being...
, a former National MP who founded the New Zealand First
New Zealand First
New Zealand First is a political party in New Zealand that was founded in 1993, following party founder Winston Peters' resignation from the National Party in 1992...
party. Peters was also opposed to the economic reforms being undertaken, was hostile towards big business, and claimed to support ordinary New Zealanders, but was also highly conservative
Conservatism
Conservatism is a political and social philosophy that promotes the maintenance of traditional institutions and supports, at the most, minimal and gradual change in society. Some conservatives seek to preserve things as they are, emphasizing stability and continuity, while others oppose modernism...
in his social policies. In particular, his views on immigration
Immigration
Immigration is the act of foreigners passing or coming into a country for the purpose of permanent residence...
were incompatible with the Alliance's belief in multiculturalism. There were also problems regarding who would lead any merged entity - both the Alliance's Anderton and New Zealand First's Peters were well regarded for standing up to their old parties, leaving it unclear which of them should be senior. (Some have also claimed that neither Anderton nor Peters would accept being ranked second - both politicians are sometimes accused by their critics of being egotistical and controlling). Regardless of the reason, the Alliance and New Zealand First did not move together.
Early electoral performance
In 1992, the Alliance contested a by-election in the electorate of TamakiTamaki (New Zealand electorate)
Tāmaki is a New Zealand Parliamentary electorate, returning one Member of Parliament to the New Zealand House of Representatives. The electorate is named after the Tamaki River that runs immediately east of the seat...
. The former stronghold of Robert Muldoon
Robert Muldoon
Sir Robert David "Rob" Muldoon, GCMG, CH served as the 31st Prime Minister of New Zealand from 1975 to 1984, as leader of the governing National Party. Muldoon had been a prominent member of the National party and MP for the Tamaki electorate for some years prior to becoming leader of the party...
, a conservative National Party leader, Tamaki was not regarded as an easy run for the Alliance. It was, therefore, surprising when the Alliance nearly won the seat, pushing Labour into third place. Later that year, the Alliance gained control of Auckland's regional council. These two performances helped establish the Alliance as a significant threat to the major parties.
In the 1993 elections
New Zealand general election, 1993
The 1993 New Zealand general election was held on 6 November 1993 to determine the composition of the 44th New Zealand Parliament. It saw the governing National Party, led by Jim Bolger, win a second term in office, despite a major swing back towards the Labour Party. The new Alliance and New...
, the Alliance gained 18% of the vote. However, the electoral system meant that the party only won two seats - one delivered by Jim Anderton, and the other by Sandra Lee-Vercoe
Sandra Lee-Vercoe
Sandra Rose Te Hakamatua Lee-Vercoe QSO is a former New Zealand politician and diplomat. She served as deputy leader of the Alliance party, and was later High Commissioner to Niue.-Early life:...
in Auckland. Occurring at the same time as this election, however, was the referendum which introduced the MMP
Mixed member proportional representation
Mixed-member proportional representation, also termed mixed-member proportional voting and commonly abbreviated to MMP, is a voting system originally used to elect representatives to the German Bundestag, and nowadays adopted by numerous legislatures around the world...
electoral system, making it much easier for smaller parties to get representation. The Alliance was a strong supporter of this change.
In 1994, Jim Anderton left the leadership of the Alliance, citing family reasons. Sandra Lee-Vercoe was placed in charge of the party. Later, however, Anderton was persuaded to return, and resumed the leadership.
Under MMP
In the 1996 electionsNew Zealand general election, 1996
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 electoral system, and produced a parliament considerably more diverse...
, the Alliance gained 10% of the vote. Under the new electoral system, this secured the party thirteen MPs. New Zealand First, however, had obtained seventeen MPs, and held the balance of power between Labour and National. Eventually, New Zealand First leader Winston Peters opted to form a coalition with National, leaving both Labour and the Alliance in opposition.
The Labour Party, now led by Helen Clark
Helen Clark
Helen Elizabeth Clark, ONZ is a New Zealand political figure who was the 37th Prime Minister of New Zealand for three consecutive terms from 1999 to 2008...
, had moved away from the policies of Roger Douglas - both Douglas and his strongest supporter, Richard Prebble
Richard Prebble
Richard William Prebble CBE, born 7 February 1948, was for many years a member of the New Zealand Parliament. Initially a member of the Labour Party, he joined the newly formed ACT New Zealand party under Roger Douglas in 1996.-Early and personal life:...
, had left Labour to found the ACT party, and Clark's more traditional faction had taken over. This allowed a gradual reconciliation between Labour and the Alliance, a process assisted by the impression that lack of cooperation had cost both parties support. Eventually, this led to an agreement between the two parties, with both sides agreeing to cooperate in forming a government should election results allow it.
In 1997, the Greens decided that they would leave the Alliance at the next election, believing that they could perform better individually. Other developments in the Alliance's makeup included the formal dissolution of both the NewLabour Party and the Liberal Party, with their members becoming members of the Alliance as a whole rather than of any specific constituent party. This left the Democrats and Mana Motuhake as the only parts of the Alliance with distinct identities.
In the 1999 elections
New Zealand general election, 1999
The 1999 New Zealand general election was held on 27 November 1999 to determine the composition of the 46th New Zealand Parliament. The governing National Party, led by Prime Minister Jenny Shipley, was defeated, being replaced by a coalition of Helen Clark's Labour Party and the smaller Alliance...
, the Alliance gained around 8% of the vote, giving it ten seats. This, combined with Labour's forty-nine seats and some support from the Greens, was enough to form a government. Jim Anderton became Deputy Prime Minister
Deputy Prime Minister of New Zealand
The Deputy Prime Minister of New Zealand is second most senior officer in the Government of New Zealand, although this seniority does not necessarily translate into power....
, and three other Alliance MPs gained positions in Cabinet
Cabinet (government)
A Cabinet is a body of high ranking government officials, typically representing the executive branch. It can also sometimes be referred to as the Council of Ministers, an Executive Council, or an Executive Committee.- Overview :...
. The Alliance claims to have made a number of significant achievements while in government, citing (among other things) the creation of the Ministry of Economic Development, the lifting of the minimum wage
Minimum wage
A minimum wage is the lowest hourly, daily or monthly remuneration that employers may legally pay to workers. Equivalently, it is the lowest wage at which workers may sell their labour. Although minimum wage laws are in effect in a great many jurisdictions, there are differences of opinion about...
, a change in funding systems for schools, and abolition of market rents for state housing
State housing
State housing is the system of public housing offered to New Zealand residents on low to moderate incomes. Some 66,000 houses are managed by Housing New Zealand Corporation, most of which are owned by the government.-The Liberal Government:...
. The party also claims to have exerted an important general influence over other governmental decisions.
Split
Towards the end of the parliamentary term, however, internal tensions began to grow within the Alliance. This was partly driven by the party's low poll ratings, which were often blamed on perceived "subservience" to Labour. In particular, many members of the party organization were less willing to support Labour than the party's MPs were, leading to a rift between parliamentary leader Anderton and party president Matt McCartenMatt McCarten
Matthew "Matt" McCarten is a New Zealand political organiser. He has been involved with several leftist or centre-left political parties, and is also active in the trade-union movement...
.
Eventually, Anderton decided to leave the Alliance and establish a new party. However, rules regarding changes of party allegiance meant that Anderton and his allies could not officially resign from the Alliance without also resigning from parliament, which they were unwilling to do. This led to the awkward situation of Anderton and his allies technically remaining part of the Alliance while actually operating outside of it. The conflict within the Alliance was one of the reasons cited by Helen Clark for her calling elections several months early in 2002.
Anderton, along with three other Alliance MPs, established the Progressive Coalition Party (later just the Progressive Party
New Zealand Progressive Party
Jim Anderton's Progressive Party , is a New Zealand political party generally somewhat to the left of its ally, the Labour Party....
). Three Alliance MPs, led by Laila Harré
Laila Harré
Laila Jane Harré is a New Zealand politician and trade unionist. She was a Member of Parliament for the left-wing Alliance party, and became the party's leader for a brief period after the group experienced a schism in 2002.-Early life:...
, chose to remain with the Alliance. The remaining three MPs (two supporting Anderton, one supporting Harré) decided not to stand for parliament again. The Democrats, one of the two Alliance components still having a separate identity, chose to follow Anderton, while Mana Motuhake, the other, chose to stay. Labour was largely successful in avoiding being drawn into the dispute.
Decline
In the 2002 electionsNew Zealand general election, 2002
The 2002 New Zealand general election was held on 27 July 2002 to determine the composition of the 47th New Zealand Parliament. It saw the reelection of Helen Clark's Labour Party government, as well as the worst-ever performance by the opposition National Party.Arguably the most controversial...
, the Alliance and the Progressives competed against each other. The Alliance, believing that it would struggle to reach 5% (the threshold for a party being awarded representation proportional to its support), needed to win an electorate seat to gain entry to parliament. It chose to focus on Waitakere
Waitakere
Waitakere City was the name of a city which existed from 1989 until 2010 in the Auckland region. It was New Zealand's fifth largest city, with an annual growth of about 2%...
(contested by Harré) and Tainui (contested by Willie Jackson, leader of Mana Motuhake). In both seats, however, the Alliance came second, losing each time to a Labour candidate, and so failed to gain parliamentary representation. In the list vote the party failed to meet the threshold gaining only 1.27% of the Party vote.
After the election, Mana Motuhake chose to leave the Alliance. This left the Alliance without any component parties - all members are now simply members of the Alliance as a whole.
Laila Harré stepped down as the party's leader on 30 November 2003, and was replaced by Matt McCarten
Matt McCarten
Matthew "Matt" McCarten is a New Zealand political organiser. He has been involved with several leftist or centre-left political parties, and is also active in the trade-union movement...
, the party president who clashed with Anderton. McCarten advocated a policy which would see the Alliance focus less on electoral activity and more on playing a co-ordinating role — he has been a particularly strong advocate of working with the new Māori Party
Maori Party
The Māori Party, a political party in New Zealand, was formed on 7 July 2004. The Party is guided by eight constitutional "kaupapa", or Party objectives. Tariana Turia formed the Māori Party after resigning from the Labour Party where she had been a Cabinet Minister in the Fifth Labour-led...
, which the Alliance had been involved with and practically supported during Tariana Turia's by-election campaign and the Maori Party launch. There was a debate within the Alliance, given the poll ratings of less than 1%, as to whether the Alliance should contest the list vote in the 2005 elections
New Zealand general election, 2005
The 2005 New Zealand general election held on 17 September 2005 determined the composition of the 48th New Zealand Parliament. No party won a majority in the unicameral House of Representatives, but the Labour Party of Prime Minister Helen Clark secured two more seats than nearest rival, the...
, or instead only stand in electorate seats and encourage its supporters to use their list vote to support the Greens
Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand
The Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand is a political party that has seats in the New Zealand parliament. It focuses firstly on environmentalism, arguing that all other aspects of humanity will cease to be of concern if there is no environment to sustain it...
or the Māori Party. Jill Ovens
Jill Ovens
Jill Ovens is a New Zealand Unionist and former political candidate.-Union leader:She previously had a long history involved in New Zealand Unions, having served as the president of the Association of Staff in Tertiary Education and was heavily involved in the CTU Women’s Council Convenor and...
, a former candidate and the new party president, was critical of McCarten's support of the Māori Party, saying that working both for the Alliance and the Māori Party at the same time represented a conflict of interest and resigned at one stage over the issue (Ovens subsequently joined the Labour Party in 2006). When no agreement could be reached on the electoral strategy McCarten and Harré dissassociated themselves from the Alliance. Gerard Hehir, the outgoing General Secretary, informed the Electoral Commission that the Alliance no longer had the five hundred financial members required for registration. In late 2004 McCarten was replaced as leader by two co-leaders, Jill Ovens and Paul Piesse
Paul Piesse
Paul Egerton Piesse is a co-leader of the Alliance, a New Zealand political party.Piesse has been heavily involved in the union movement, and has held a number of senior organisational roles. He was originally a supporter of the Labour Party, but joined NewLabour in protest of the economic policies...
and the party's remaining membership voted to contest the list vote.
In the 2005 elections
New Zealand general election, 2005
The 2005 New Zealand general election held on 17 September 2005 determined the composition of the 48th New Zealand Parliament. No party won a majority in the unicameral House of Representatives, but the Labour Party of Prime Minister Helen Clark secured two more seats than nearest rival, the...
the Alliance gained only 0.07% of the Party vote, placing 12th of the parties.
Regrouping
Following its poor showing in the 2005 electionsNew Zealand general election, 2005
The 2005 New Zealand general election held on 17 September 2005 determined the composition of the 48th New Zealand Parliament. No party won a majority in the unicameral House of Representatives, but the Labour Party of Prime Minister Helen Clark secured two more seats than nearest rival, the...
, the Alliance continued after their 2005 conference with two co-leaders Paul Piesse
Paul Piesse
Paul Egerton Piesse is a co-leader of the Alliance, a New Zealand political party.Piesse has been heavily involved in the union movement, and has held a number of senior organisational roles. He was originally a supporter of the Labour Party, but joined NewLabour in protest of the economic policies...
and Len Richards.
At the 2006 conference held in Wellington, no co-leaders were elected with the party deciding to concentrate on internal reorganization. Victor Billot
Victor Billot
Victor Billot is a former co-leader of New Zealand's Alliance political party. He is also a writer, musician and unionist, former editor of Critic magazine, and performer in Alpha Plan and Das Phaedrus.-External links:*...
was elected President. At the 2007 national conference, held in Dunedin, two co-leaders were elected, Victor Billot
Victor Billot
Victor Billot is a former co-leader of New Zealand's Alliance political party. He is also a writer, musician and unionist, former editor of Critic magazine, and performer in Alpha Plan and Das Phaedrus.-External links:*...
and Kay Murray, with Paul Piesse
Paul Piesse
Paul Egerton Piesse is a co-leader of the Alliance, a New Zealand political party.Piesse has been heavily involved in the union movement, and has held a number of senior organisational roles. He was originally a supporter of the Labour Party, but joined NewLabour in protest of the economic policies...
returning to his former role as Party President. Speakers at the 2007 national conference included political commentator Chris Trotter
Chris Trotter
Chris Trotter is a left-leaning political commentator in New Zealand. He is the editor of the occasional Political Review magazine, and is a regular speaker, orator and singer at left-wing, union and socialist events....
and publisher Jack Yan
Jack Yan
Jack Yan is a publisher, designer and businessman, born 1972 in Kowloon, Hong Kong.Yan founded his own company in 1987 while a teenager and grew it, initially, into the region's leading font software firm, claiming to be the first New Zealander to design digital typefaces...
. The Alliance stated its intention to run a list of candidates and electorate candidates in the 2008 general elections. In April 2008 the party had between 500 and 600 members.
During the process of regroupment since the 2005 election the Alliance has reaffirmed its role as a broad left-wing political party committed to contesting both electorate seats and a party list. The party continues to release an annual alternative budget, prepared by the Alliance spokesperson on tax, the academic and intelligence researcher James R. Flynn
James R. Flynn
James Robert Flynn PhD FRSNZ , aka Jim Flynn, Emeritus Professor of Political Studies at the University of Otago in Dunedin, New Zealand, researches intelligence and has become well known for his discovery of the Flynn effect, the continued year-after-year increase of IQ scores in all parts of the...
. In 2008 the Alliance adopted a new logo designed by Jack Yan & Associates to signal the changes it has undergone and its intention for renewal and rebuilding.
In the 2008 election
New Zealand general election, 2008
The 2008 New Zealand general election was held on 8 November 2008 to determine the composition of the 49th New Zealand parliament. The conservative National Party, headed by its Parliamentary leader John Key, won a plurality of votes and seats, ending 9 years of government dominated by the social...
the Alliance fielded candidates in all major New Zealand centres, contesting 15 electorate seats and running a party list of 30 candidates under the co-leaders Kay Murray and Andrew McKenzie. The party managed to marginally improve its party vote to 1,721, amounting to 0.08 percent of the party vote and placing the Alliance 7th out of 12 extra-parliamentary parties. The Alliance candidate for Dunedin North, Victor Billot, gathered 448 electorate votes, placing him 6th in that electorate.
After the election of the fifth National government on 8 November 2008, the Alliance pledged to "play a leading role in resisting the attacks against public services, workers, beneficiaries and students that will be a feature of the new National Government."
The party unsuccessfully contested the 2011 election
New Zealand general election, 2011
The 2011 New Zealand general election on Saturday 26 November 2011 determined the membership of the 50th New Zealand Parliament.One hundred and twenty-one MPs were elected to the New Zealand House of Representatives, 70 from single-member electorates, including one overhang seat, and 51 from party...
, gaining just 1,069 votes - the lowest of any registered party.
Electoral results (1993-2011)
| Election | # of candidates nominated (electorate/list) | # of seats won | # of party votes | % of popular vote |
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| 1993 New Zealand general election, 1993 The 1993 New Zealand general election was held on 6 November 1993 to determine the composition of the 44th New Zealand Parliament. It saw the governing National Party, led by Jim Bolger, win a second term in office, despite a major swing back towards the Labour Party. The new Alliance and New... |
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| 1996 New Zealand general election, 1996 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 electoral system, and produced a parliament considerably more diverse... |
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| 1999 New Zealand general election, 1999 The 1999 New Zealand general election was held on 27 November 1999 to determine the composition of the 46th New Zealand Parliament. The governing National Party, led by Prime Minister Jenny Shipley, was defeated, being replaced by a coalition of Helen Clark's Labour Party and the smaller Alliance... |
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| 2002 New Zealand general election, 2002 The 2002 New Zealand general election was held on 27 July 2002 to determine the composition of the 47th New Zealand Parliament. It saw the reelection of Helen Clark's Labour Party government, as well as the worst-ever performance by the opposition National Party.Arguably the most controversial... |
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| 2005 New Zealand general election, 2005 The 2005 New Zealand general election held on 17 September 2005 determined the composition of the 48th New Zealand Parliament. No party won a majority in the unicameral House of Representatives, but the Labour Party of Prime Minister Helen Clark secured two more seats than nearest rival, the... |
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| 2008 New Zealand general election, 2008 The 2008 New Zealand general election was held on 8 November 2008 to determine the composition of the 49th New Zealand parliament. The conservative National Party, headed by its Parliamentary leader John Key, won a plurality of votes and seats, ending 9 years of government dominated by the social... |
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| 2011 New Zealand general election, 2011 The 2011 New Zealand general election on Saturday 26 November 2011 determined the membership of the 50th New Zealand Parliament.One hundred and twenty-one MPs were elected to the New Zealand House of Representatives, 70 from single-member electorates, including one overhang seat, and 51 from party... |
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Leaders
- Jim AndertonJim AndertonJames Patrick Anderton, usually known as Jim Anderton , is the leader of the Progressive Party, a New Zealand political party. He has served in Parliament since 1984. He served as Deputy Prime Minister from 1999 to 2002 and is currently also the sitting Father of the House, the longest...
(1991–1994) - Sandra Lee-VercoeSandra Lee-VercoeSandra Rose Te Hakamatua Lee-Vercoe QSO is a former New Zealand politician and diplomat. She served as deputy leader of the Alliance party, and was later High Commissioner to Niue.-Early life:...
(1994–1995) - Jim Anderton (1995–2002)
- Laila HarréLaila HarréLaila Jane Harré is a New Zealand politician and trade unionist. She was a Member of Parliament for the left-wing Alliance party, and became the party's leader for a brief period after the group experienced a schism in 2002.-Early life:...
(2002–2003) - Matt McCartenMatt McCartenMatthew "Matt" McCarten is a New Zealand political organiser. He has been involved with several leftist or centre-left political parties, and is also active in the trade-union movement...
(2003–2004) - Jill OvensJill OvensJill Ovens is a New Zealand Unionist and former political candidate.-Union leader:She previously had a long history involved in New Zealand Unions, having served as the president of the Association of Staff in Tertiary Education and was heavily involved in the CTU Women’s Council Convenor and...
and Paul PiessePaul PiessePaul Egerton Piesse is a co-leader of the Alliance, a New Zealand political party.Piesse has been heavily involved in the union movement, and has held a number of senior organisational roles. He was originally a supporter of the Labour Party, but joined NewLabour in protest of the economic policies...
(2005–2006) - Len Richards and Paul PiessePaul PiessePaul Egerton Piesse is a co-leader of the Alliance, a New Zealand political party.Piesse has been heavily involved in the union movement, and has held a number of senior organisational roles. He was originally a supporter of the Labour Party, but joined NewLabour in protest of the economic policies...
(2006) - Party President and spokesperson Victor BillotVictor BillotVictor Billot is a former co-leader of New Zealand's Alliance political party. He is also a writer, musician and unionist, former editor of Critic magazine, and performer in Alpha Plan and Das Phaedrus.-External links:*...
(2006–2007) - Victor BillotVictor BillotVictor Billot is a former co-leader of New Zealand's Alliance political party. He is also a writer, musician and unionist, former editor of Critic magazine, and performer in Alpha Plan and Das Phaedrus.-External links:*...
and Kay Murray (2007–2008) - Andrew McKenzie and Kay Murray (2008)
MPs
From start:- Jim AndertonJim AndertonJames Patrick Anderton, usually known as Jim Anderton , is the leader of the Progressive Party, a New Zealand political party. He has served in Parliament since 1984. He served as Deputy Prime Minister from 1999 to 2002 and is currently also the sitting Father of the House, the longest...
From 1993:
- Sandra Lee-VercoeSandra Lee-VercoeSandra Rose Te Hakamatua Lee-Vercoe QSO is a former New Zealand politician and diplomat. She served as deputy leader of the Alliance party, and was later High Commissioner to Niue.-Early life:...
From 1996:
- Phillida BunklePhillida BunklePhillida Bunkle is a former New Zealand politician. She was born in Sussex, England.She was educated at Keele University, England, receiving a BA with First Class Honours; Smith College, Massachusetts, USA, receiving a MA; and St Anne's College, Oxford...
- Pam CorkeryPam CorkeryPamela "Pam" Corkery is a New Zealand journalist, broadcaster, and former politician.-Private life:Corkery was born in the South Island and grew up in Dunedin...
(retired in 1999) - Rod DonaldRod DonaldRodney David "Rod" Donald , was a New Zealand politician who co-led the Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand, along with Jeanette Fitzsimons.He lived in Christchurch with his partner Nicola Shirlaw, and their three daughters....
(followed Green Party out of Alliance in 1997) - Jeanette FitzsimonsJeanette FitzsimonsJeanette Mary Fitzsimons, CNZM is a New Zealand politician and environmentalist. She was the co-leader of the Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand from 1995 to 2009, and was a Member of Parliament from 1996 to 2010.-Career:...
(followed Green Party out of Alliance in 1997) - Grant GillonGrant GillonGrant Gillon is a New Zealand politician. He was a member of parliament between 1996 and 2002, representing the Alliance Party.-Career:Gillon's political career began when he joined the Democratic Party...
- Liz GordonLiz GordonElizabeth "Liz" Audrey Gordon , is a former New Zealand politician. She was an MP from 1996 to 2002, representing the Alliance.-Early life:...
- Frank GroverFrank GroverFrank Grover is a former New Zealand politician. He was an MP from 1996 to 1999, representing first the Alliance and then the Christian Heritage Party in the House of Representatives.-The Liberals:...
(defected to CHPChristian Heritage New ZealandThe Christian Heritage Party of New Zealand was a New Zealand political party espousing Christian values...
in 1996) - Laila HarréLaila HarréLaila Jane Harré is a New Zealand politician and trade unionist. She was a Member of Parliament for the left-wing Alliance party, and became the party's leader for a brief period after the group experienced a schism in 2002.-Early life:...
- Alamein KopuAlamein Kopu- Birth and early life :Kopu was raised in Opotiki. Her family was not wealthy, and Kopu characterises her youth as containing "much hardship". In 1978, her family moved to Sydney, Australia. In Australia, Kopu became involved with community programs aimed at drug users and prostitutes, something...
(defected to found Mana WahineMana Wahine Te Ira TangataMana Wahine Te Ira Tangata was a small and short-lived political party in New Zealand. It was established by Alamein Kopu, a member of the New Zealand Parliament who had left her original party . After a short time as an independent MP, Kopu established Mana Wahine as her own party...
in 1998) - Matt RobsonMatt RobsonMatthew Peter Robson is a New Zealand politician. He is deputy leader of the Progressive Party, and served in the Parliament from 1996 to 2005, first as a member of the Alliance, then as a Progressive.-Early years:...
- John WrightJohn Wright (politician)John Wright is a former New Zealand politician. He was an MP from 1996 to 2002, representing the Alliance.Before entering Parliament he owned the Port-a-Loo company....
From 1999:
- Kevin CampbellKevin Campbell (politician)Kevin Campbell is a former New Zealand Member of Parliament for the Alliance and their current leader outside of Parliament.-Early career:Campbell worked as a milkman, before becoming a police officer. He trained to be a Catholic priest at Holy Name Seminary and Holy Cross College. However he was...
- Willie Jackson
External links
- Alliance official website