New Zealand general election, 1949
Encyclopedia
The 1949 New Zealand general election was a nationwide vote to determine the shape of the New Zealand Parliament's 29th term
. It saw the governing Labour Party
defeated by the opposition National Party
. This marked the end of the First Labour government
and the beginning of the First National government
.
had formed its first administration after winning the 1935 elections
, and had remained in power (with gradually decreasing majorities) since then. The National Party
, formed by a merger of the parties which Labour had originally ousted, gradually increased its power in Parliament — the ineffectual Adam Hamilton
was replaced by Sidney Holland
, and internal disputes were gradually resolved. The Prime Minister
, Peter Fraser, was increasingly weary, and ongoing shortages after World War II
eroded public support for the government. The National Party's decision not to repeal Labour's social welfare policies also increased its appeal.
were held the day before—the 1949 elections were the last in which Māori voted on a different day. 1,113,852 people were registered to vote, although rolls for the Māori seats were "woefully inadequate." Voter turnout
for the elections is disputed, given the problems with the Māori roll—some sources place it at 93.5 percent, while others estimate 92.9 percent. Regardless, the turnout was relatively high for the time. The number of seats being contested was 80, a number which had been fixed since 1902.
defeated by a twelve-seat margin. It has previously held a four-seat majority. Labour won a total of 34 seats, as opposed to National's 46. The popular vote was considerably closer—Labour won 47.2 percent to National's 51.9 percent. No seats were won by minor party candidates or by independents.
29th New Zealand Parliament
The 29th New Zealand Parliament was a term of the Parliament of New Zealand. It opened in 1950, following the 1949 general election. It was dissolved in 1951 in preparation for the 1951 general election. The governing Labour Party had been defeated in the election by the National Party...
. It saw the governing 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....
defeated by the opposition 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:...
. This marked the end of the First Labour government
First Labour Government of New Zealand
The First Labour Government of New Zealand was the government of New Zealand from 1935 to 1949. It set the tone of New Zealand's economic and welfare policies until the 1980s, establishing a welfare state, a system of Keynesian economic management, and high levels of state intervention...
and the beginning of the First National government
First National Government of New Zealand
The First National Government of New Zealand was the government of New Zealand from 1949 to 1957. It was a conservative government best remembered for its role in the 1951 waterfront dispute. It also began the repositioning of New Zealand in the cold war environment...
.
Background
The Labour PartyNew 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....
had formed its first administration after winning the 1935 elections
New Zealand general election, 1935
The 1935 New Zealand general election was a nationwide vote to determine the shape of the New Zealand Parliament's 25th term. It resulted in the Labour Party's first electoral victory, with Michael Joseph Savage becoming the first Labour Prime Minister...
, and had remained in power (with gradually decreasing majorities) since then. 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:...
, formed by a merger of the parties which Labour had originally ousted, gradually increased its power in Parliament — the ineffectual Adam Hamilton
Adam Hamilton
Adam Hamilton was a New Zealand politician. He was the first leader of the National Party during its early years in Opposition.-Early life:...
was replaced by Sidney Holland
Sidney Holland
Sir Sidney George Holland, GCMG, CH was the 25th Prime Minister of New Zealand from 13 December 1949 to 20 September 1957.-Early life:...
, and internal disputes were gradually resolved. The 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...
, Peter Fraser, was increasingly weary, and ongoing shortages after World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
eroded public support for the government. The National Party's decision not to repeal Labour's social welfare policies also increased its appeal.
The election
The date for the main elections was a Wednesday 30 November. Elections to the four Māori seatsMaori seats
In New Zealand politics, Māori electorates, colloquially also called Māori seats, are a special category of electorate that gives reserved positions to representatives of Māori in the New Zealand Parliament...
were held the day before—the 1949 elections were the last in which Māori voted on a different day. 1,113,852 people were registered to vote, although rolls for the Māori seats were "woefully inadequate." Voter turnout
Voter turnout
Voter turnout is the percentage of eligible voters who cast a ballot in an election . After increasing for many decades, there has been a trend of decreasing voter turnout in most established democracies since the 1960s...
for the elections is disputed, given the problems with the Māori roll—some sources place it at 93.5 percent, while others estimate 92.9 percent. Regardless, the turnout was relatively high for the time. The number of seats being contested was 80, a number which had been fixed since 1902.
Results
The 1949 election saw the governing Labour PartyNew 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....
defeated by a twelve-seat margin. It has previously held a four-seat majority. Labour won a total of 34 seats, as opposed to National's 46. The popular vote was considerably closer—Labour won 47.2 percent to National's 51.9 percent. No seats were won by minor party candidates or by independents.
| Party | Leader | Votes | Percentage | Seats won | change | |
| National 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:... |
Sid Holland | 556,805 | 51.88% | 46 | +8 | |
| Labour 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.... |
Peter Fraser | 506,073 | 47.16% | 34 | -8 | |
| Communist Communist Party of New Zealand The Communist Party of New Zealand was a Communist political party in New Zealand from the 1920s to the early 1990s. It never achieved significant political success, and no longer exists as an independent group, although the Socialist Worker organisation is considered organisationally continuous... |
3,499 | 0.33% | 0 | |||
| Democratic Labour Democratic Labour Party (New Zealand) The Democratic Labour Party was a left-wing political party in New Zealand in the 1940s. It was a splinter from the larger Labour Party, and was led by the prominent socialist John A. Lee.-Party history:... |
John A. Lee John A. Lee John Alfred Alexander Lee DCM was a New Zealand politician and writer. He is one of the more prominent avowed socialists in New Zealand's political history.-Early life:... |
2,627 | 0.24% | 0 | ||
| Independents Independent (politician) In politics, an independent or non-party politician is an individual not affiliated to any political party. Independents may hold a centrist viewpoint between those of major political parties, a viewpoint more extreme than any major party, or they may have a viewpoint based on issues that they do... and minor parties, (including Frank Langstone Frank Langstone Frank Langstone was a New Zealand Member of Parliament, Cabinet Minister and High Commissioner to Canada.-Member of Parliament:... ) |
4,150 | 0.39% | 0 | 0 | ||
| National elected | 1,073,154 | 100% | 80 | |||