Fifth Labour Government of New Zealand
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The Fifth Labour Government of New Zealand was the
government of New Zealand , background_color = #012169 , image = New Zealand Government wordmark.svg , image_size=250px , date_established = , country = New Zealand , leader_title = Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern , appointed = Governor-General , main_organ = , ...
from 10 December 1999 to 19 November 2008. Labour Party leader
Helen Clark Helen Elizabeth Clark (born 26 February 1950) is a New Zealand politician who served as the 37th prime minister of New Zealand from 1999 to 2008, and was the administrator of the United Nations Development Programme from 2009 to 2017. She was ...
negotiated a coalition with
Jim Anderton James Patrick Anderton (born Byrne; 21 January 1938 – 7 January 2018) was a New Zealand politician who led a succession of left-wing parties after leaving the Labour Party in 1989. Anderton's political career began when he was elected to th ...
, leader of the Alliance Party. While undertaking a number of substantial reforms, it was not particularly radical compared to previous Labour governments.


Overview

The previous government, the fourth National government, had been in power since 1990. It was widely unpopular by 1999, with much of the public antagonised by a series of free-market economic reforms, and was bedevilled by weakness and instability. In the 1999 general election, the
Helen Clark Helen Elizabeth Clark (born 26 February 1950) is a New Zealand politician who served as the 37th prime minister of New Zealand from 1999 to 2008, and was the administrator of the United Nations Development Programme from 2009 to 2017. She was ...
-led Labour Party defeated the National Party easily, becoming the largest single party in the
House of Representatives House of Representatives is the name of legislative bodies in many countries and sub-national entitles. In many countries, the House of Representatives is the lower house of a bicameral legislature, with the corresponding upper house often c ...
. Labour formed a minority
coalition government A coalition government is a form of government in which political parties cooperate to form a government. The usual reason for such an arrangement is that no single party has achieved an absolute majority after an election, an atypical outcome in ...
with the left-leaning
Alliance An alliance is a relationship among people, groups, or states that have joined together for mutual benefit or to achieve some common purpose, whether or not explicit agreement has been worked out among them. Members of an alliance are called ...
party, supported by the
Green Party A green party is a formally organized political party based on the principles of green politics, such as social justice, environmentalism and nonviolence. Greens believe that these issues are inherently related to one another as a foundation ...
. During its first term, the government pursued a number of reforms. The controversial Employment Contracts Act was repealed, replaced by an Employment Relations Act more friendly to unions and collective bargaining; a state-owned bank,
Kiwibank Kiwibank Limited is a New Zealand state-owned bank and financial services provider with approximately 4% of market share in terms of assets. Kiwibank is owned by the New Zealand Government and provides some of its banking services through its ...
, was created at the behest of the Alliance; a majority stake in the national airline,
Air New Zealand Air New Zealand Limited () is the flag carrier airline of New Zealand. Based in Auckland, the airline operates scheduled passenger flights to 20 domestic and 30 international destinations in 18 countries, primarily around and within the Pacific ...
, was purchased; and the public health sector was reorganised with the re-establishment of partly elected district health boards. Closing the Gaps, an affirmative action strategy targeting socio-economic inequalities between
Māori Māori or Maori can refer to: Relating to the Māori people * Māori people of New Zealand, or members of that group * Māori language, the language of the Māori people of New Zealand * Māori culture * Cook Islanders, the Māori people of the C ...
and
Pacific Island Collectively called the Pacific Islands, the islands in the Pacific Ocean are further categorized into three major island groups: Melanesia, Micronesia, and Polynesia. Depending on the context, the term ''Pacific Islands'' may refer to one of se ...
ethnic groups and other groups, was a particularly controversial reform among right-wing
National National may refer to: Common uses * Nation or country ** Nationality – a ''national'' is a person who is subject to a nation, regardless of whether the person has full rights as a citizen Places in the United States * National, Maryland, ce ...
and ACT voters.Humpage, Louise (2006). "An 'inclusive' society: a 'leap forward' for Maori in New Zealand?". ''Critical Social Policy'' 26 (1): 220–242. With the disintegration of the Alliance in 2002, Helen Clark called a
snap election A snap election is an election that is called earlier than the one that has been scheduled. Generally, a snap election in a parliamentary system (the dissolution of parliament) is called to capitalize on an unusual electoral opportunity or to ...
, even though she still had the
confidence Confidence is a state of being clear-headed either that a hypothesis or prediction is correct or that a chosen course of action is the best or most effective. Confidence comes from a Latin word 'fidere' which means "to trust"; therefore, having ...
of the House. Labour handily won the election. The Alliance failed to return to parliament, although a rump returned as Jim Anderton's
Progressives Progressivism holds that it is possible to improve human societies through political action. As a political movement, progressivism seeks to advance the human condition through social reform based on purported advancements in science, techno ...
. Labour formed a coalition with the Progressives, and turned to the
centrist Centrism is a political outlook or position involving acceptance or support of a balance of social equality and a degree of social hierarchy while opposing political changes that would result in a significant shift of society strongly to the l ...
United Future United Future New Zealand, usually known as United Future, was a centrist political party in New Zealand. The party was in government between 2005 and 2017, first alongside Labour (2005–2008) and then supporting National (2008–2017). Uni ...
party for
confidence and supply In a parliamentary democracy based on the Westminster system, confidence and supply are required for a ruling cabinet to retain power in the lower house. A confidence-and-supply agreement is one whereby a party or independent members of parl ...
. This second term was notable largely for its social and constitutional legislation, with the Government establishing a
Supreme Court A supreme court is the highest court within the hierarchy of courts in most legal jurisdictions. Other descriptions for such courts include court of last resort, apex court, and high (or final) court of appeal. Broadly speaking, the decisions of ...
and ending appeals to the
Privy Council A privy council is a body that advises the head of state of a state, typically, but not always, in the context of a monarchic government. The word "privy" means "private" or "secret"; thus, a privy council was originally a committee of the mon ...
, decriminalising
prostitution Prostitution is the business or practice of engaging in Sex work, sexual activity in exchange for payment. The definition of "sexual activity" varies, and is often defined as an activity requiring physical contact (e.g., sexual intercourse, n ...
, and providing for
civil union A civil union (also known as a civil partnership) is a legally recognized arrangement similar to marriage, created primarily as a means to provide recognition in law for same-sex couples. Civil unions grant some or all of the rights of marriage ...
s, the latter two changes in particular supported by the Green Party and opposed by United Future. The Government was also faced in this term with the foreshore and seabed controversy. While Labour, in cooperation with the
New Zealand First New Zealand First ( mi, Aotearoa Tuatahi), commonly abbreviated to NZ First, is a nationalist and populist political party in New Zealand. The party formed in July 1993 following the resignation on 19 March 1993 of its leader and founder, Winst ...
party, eventually resolved the legal dispute by vesting foreshore and seabed title in
the Crown The Crown is the state in all its aspects within the jurisprudence of the Commonwealth realms and their subdivisions (such as the Crown Dependencies, overseas territories, provinces, or states). Legally ill-defined, the term has different ...
, a dissident Labour minister,
Tariana Turia Dame Tariana Turia (born 8 April 1944) is a New Zealand politician. She was first elected to Parliament in 1996. Turia gained considerable prominence during the foreshore and seabed controversy in 2004, and eventually broke with the Labour P ...
, formed the Māori Party, while on the other side of the spectrum a resurgent National Party, now under former Reserve Bank governor
Don Brash Donald Thomas Brash (born 24 September 1940) is a former New Zealand politician who was Leader of the Opposition and Leader of the New Zealand National Party from October 2003 to November 2006, and the Leader of ACT New Zealand from April to No ...
, became considerably more popular. In the 2005 election, the Government was returned with a slim margin on the strength of the Working for Families assistance package and financial assistance to students, benefiting also from mistakes in National's campaign. Helen Clark moved even more to the centre, enlisting support for her Government from both New Zealand First and United Future. Almost immediately, the Government parties became involved in a protracted funding scandal, having apparently used public money for party political purposes during the election campaign. A heavy-handed attempt at campaign finance reform later in this term also harmed the Government, which by now appeared tired and at a loss for direction, although it did succeed in implementing a wide range of social and economic reforms during its time in office. In a 2000 feature article "Siege of Helengrad",
The Australian ''The Australian'', with its Saturday edition, ''The Weekend Australian'', is a broadsheet newspaper published by News Corp Australia since 14 July 1964.Bruns, Axel. "3.1. The active audience: Transforming journalism from gatekeeping to gatew ...
newspaper wrote that Clark's "uncompromisingly autocratic and pervasive leadership has seen New Zealand dubbed Helengrad". In January 2008, the term 'Helengrad', "a noun used to describe the iron grip of New Zealand's prime minister over Wellington", was reported as having made Australia's Macquarie online dictionary among 85 other new words. In the 2008 election, the Labour Party lost convincingly to National, and the government was succeeded by the National Party led by
John Key Sir John Phillip Key (born 9 August 1961) is a New Zealand retired politician who served as the 38th prime minister of New Zealand, Prime Minister of New Zealand from 2008 to 2016 and as Leader of the New Zealand National Party from 2006 to ...
as
Prime Minister A prime minister, premier or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. Under those systems, a prime minister is not ...
.


Significant policies


Economic

* Created
Kiwibank Kiwibank Limited is a New Zealand state-owned bank and financial services provider with approximately 4% of market share in terms of assets. Kiwibank is owned by the New Zealand Government and provides some of its banking services through its ...
as part of coalition agreement with the Alliance (2001). * Created the
New Zealand Superannuation Fund The New Zealand Superannuation Fund ( mi, Te Kaitiaki Tahua Penihana Kaumātua o Aotearoa) is a sovereign wealth fund in New Zealand. New Zealand currently provides universal superannuation for people over 65 years of age and the purpose of the ...
(2001); *
KiwiSaver The KiwiSaver scheme, a New Zealand savings scheme, came into operation from Monday, 2 July 2007. Participants can normally access their KiwiSaver funds only after the age of 65, but can withdraw them in certain limited circumstances, for exampl ...
retirement savings scheme (2007); * Purchased a majority stake in
Air New Zealand Air New Zealand Limited () is the flag carrier airline of New Zealand. Based in Auckland, the airline operates scheduled passenger flights to 20 domestic and 30 international destinations in 18 countries, primarily around and within the Pacific ...
(2001); * Renationalised New Zealand's
national rail network In United States railroading, the term national rail network, sometimes termed "U.S. rail network", refers to the entire network of interconnected standard gauge rail lines in North America. It does not include most subway or light rail lines. F ...
(Under
ONTRACK KiwiRail Holdings Limited is a New Zealand state-owned enterprise responsible for rail operations in New Zealand, and operates inter-island ferries. Trading as KiwiRail and headquartered in Wellington, New Zealand, KiwiRail is the largest rail ...
) (2004), and in 2008 the rail and ferry operations of Toll New Zealand (renamed
KiwiRail KiwiRail Holdings Limited is a New Zealand state-owned enterprise responsible for rail operations in New Zealand, and operates inter-island ferries. Trading as KiwiRail and headquartered in Wellington, New Zealand, KiwiRail is the largest rail ...
). KiwiRail and ONTRACK were then merged into one organisation; *
Buy Kiwi Made Buy NZ Made is a campaign promoting and encouraging people to buy New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South ...
campaign (2007); * Telecommunications industry reform, particularly
local loop unbundling Local loop unbundling (LLU or LLUB) is the regulatory process of allowing multiple telecommunications operators to use connections from the telephone exchange to the customer's premises. The physical wire connection between the local exchange and ...
(2007). * Increased top
income tax rate Income is the consumption and saving opportunity gained by an entity within a specified timeframe, which is generally expressed in monetary terms. Income is difficult to define conceptually and the definition may be different across fields. For ...
to 39% (2000). * Company and personal income tax cuts under the
2008 New Zealand budget The New Zealand budget for fiscal year 2008-2009 was presented to the New Zealand House of Representatives by Finance Minister Dr Michael Cullen on 22 May 2008. This was the ninth budget Michael Cullen has presented as Minister of Finance, and hi ...
. * Began the Crown Retail Deposit Guarantee Scheme, deposit insurance for New Zealand financial institutions during the
Great Recession The Great Recession was a period of marked general decline, i.e. a recession, observed in national economies globally that occurred from late 2007 into 2009. The scale and timing of the recession varied from country to country (see map). At ...
(2008).


Constitutional

* Established the
Supreme Court of New Zealand The Supreme Court of New Zealand ( mi, Te Kōti Mana Nui, lit=Court of Great Mana) is the highest court and the court of last resort of New Zealand. It formally came into being on 1 January 2004 and sat for the first time on 1 July 2004. It re ...
, replacing appeals to the
Judicial Committee of the Privy Council The Judicial Committee of the Privy Council (JCPC) is the highest court of appeal for the Crown Dependencies, the British Overseas Territories, some Commonwealth countries and a few institutions in the United Kingdom. Established on 14 Augus ...
(2004). * Constitutional Inquiry into the
Constitution of New Zealand The constitution of New Zealand is the sum of laws and principles that determine the political governance of New Zealand. Unlike many other nations, New Zealand has no single constitutional document. It is an uncodified constitution, sometimes ...
. * Passed the
Electoral Finance Act The Electoral Finance Act 2007 was a controversial act in New Zealand. The Fifth Labour Government introduced the Electoral Finance Bill partly in response to the 2005 New Zealand election funding controversy, in particular to "third-party" ca ...
to reform electoral spending and regulate electoral advertising (2007).


Treaty of Waitangi

*
New Zealand foreshore and seabed controversy The New Zealand foreshore and seabed controversy is a debate in the politics of New Zealand. It concerns the ownership of the country's foreshore and seabed, with many Māori groups claiming that Māori have a rightful claim to title. These c ...
; passed the Foreshore and Seabed Act (2004). * Marine and Coastal Area (Takutai Moana) Act 2011 Treaty settlements: Aspects of the Clark-led governments actions in relation to the Treaty of Waitangi is shown through settlements. * Treaty 2U exhibition funding * New Zealand School Curriculum launch * Moriori heritage and Identity preservation * Te Arawa Apology * Te Uri O Hau * Waitangi Day Commemorative Fund * Fisheries Scholarship


Social policy

* Within 3 weeks of taking office, the government had announced an increase in the minimum wage, removed the interest on student loans for full-time and low-income students while they were still studying, announced the reversal of accident compensation deregulation, and introduced legislation to increase taxation for those on higher incomes. * Introduced paid parental leave of 12 weeks (2001), increasing to 14 weeks by the end of the government. * The Working for Families package was introduced in 2004, which significantly improved social welfare assistance for low-income families and contributed to a reduction in child poverty from 28% in 2004 to 22% in 2007. * The wage-related floor of the state pension was restored. * The Housing Restructuring Amendment Bill (2000) provided for income-related rents and set them at 25% of household income making community housing much more affordable than it had become under the previous Government's market rental strategy. * Equity Funding was introduced (2002), which provided additional funding to community-based ECE services most in need. * Research funding was increased. * The New Zealand Transport Strategy (released in December 2002) provided increased funding for initiatives to promote the use of buses, trains, cycling and walking. * The minimum wage was increased by more than 5% each year (well above the rate of inflation) during the labour-led government's second term. * The Health and Safety in Employment Amendment Act (2002) served to make the principal Act more comprehensive by covering more industries and more conditions. * The ring-fencing of mental health money and the creation of more than 800 FTE mental health staff positions see this promise coded as fulfilled representing a 100% fulfilment rate for this policy area. * ICT was expanded to students in remote areas so they could receive specialist teaching. * The Holidays Act (2003) entitled employees to receive "time and a half" for working on any statutory holiday from 2004 onwards and provided for four weeks' annual leave from 2007 onwards. * Passed the
Prostitution Reform Act 2003 The Prostitution Reform Act 2003 is an Act of Parliament that decriminalised prostitution in New Zealand. The act also gave new rights to sex workers. It has attracted international attention, although its reception has been mixed. The Act rep ...
* Passed the Property (Relationships) Act: treats de facto relationships the same as after the breakup of legal marriages, unless the individuals in the relationship contract out of the Act; *
Civil Union Act 2004 The Civil Union Act 2004 is an Act of Parliament in New Zealand. It was passed into law on Thursday 9 December 2004 by a final vote of 65–55 in the New Zealand Parliament.Crimes (Substituted Section 59) Amendment Act 2007 The Crimes (Substituted Section 59) Amendment Act 2007 (formerly the Crimes (Abolition of Force as a Justification for Child Discipline) Amendment Bill) is an amendment to New Zealand's Crimes Act 1961 which removed the legal defence of "reasona ...
, which repealed and replaced section 59 of the Crimes Act 1961, which allowed "reasonable force" in the discipline of children. *
National Statement on Religious Diversity The National Statement on Religious Diversity is a New Zealand statement of intent in the field of religious diversity, it is intended to provide ''“a framework for the recognition of New Zealand's diverse faith communities and their harmonious ...
(2007) * National Superannuation payments for married couples were increased (2000). * A Parental Tax Credit was introduced (2000). * A Child Tax Credit (which replaced the independent Family Tax Credit) was introduced (2000). * A Family Tax Credit (which was formerly the Guaranteed Minimum Family income) was introduced (2000). * A Modern Apprentices initiative was introduced to develop technological skills (2000). * The Family Start programme was expanded (2000). * Annual inflation to benefits was introduced (2000). * Closing the Gaps policy platform introduced (2000). * The Social Security Amendment Act of 2001 introduced various changes such as "disestablishment of the Community Wage, re-establishment of an unemployment benefit and non-work-tested sickness benefit, and the abolition of the work capacity assessment process". * The Social Security Amendment Act (2006) established three streams for reintegrating beneficiaries into the larger community. These included a work support stream for the unemployed, a work support development stream for most other beneficiaries, and a community support stream for a small group to be exempted from work, training or planning requirements. * Income-related rents for state-owned housing were restored (2000). * A social allocation system was introduced and implemented with the income-related rents scheme(2000). * Vacant sales were frozen and the Home Buy programme was ended (2000). * Bulk funding for schools was ended (2000). * Expenditure was increased, or newly allocated, for the reduction of attrition of students from school, tertiary education subsidies, Maori and Pacific peoples' teacher recruitment, and Homework Centres (2000). * Interest on student loans while students are studying was abolished, while the decision of the Fourth National Government to increase the student loan repayment rate was reversed (2000). * Interest on student loans abolished for borrowers who remain in New Zealand (or studying overseas). * Tertiary student fees were kept stable (2001). * Expenditure for early childhood education was increased (2001). * The National Certificate of Educational Achievement was established (2001). * New funding was provided for principals' leadership and professional development (2001). * An In Work Payment was introduced to replace the Child Tax Credit. * The ministries that handled work and income and those that did social policy were merged to create a new Ministry of Social Development (2001).


Health

* Creation of district health boards (2000). * Dissolution of the
Health Funding Authority The Health Funding Authority, now defunct, was a New Zealand government entity responsible for funding of public health care in New Zealand between 1997 and 2001. It was formed from the merger of the four Regional Health Authorities (RHAs) as part ...
, with its responsibilities given to the Ministry of Health and the district health boards. * Introduction of the ''Primary Health Care Strategy'', moving
primary care Primary care is the day-to-day healthcare given by a health care provider. Typically this provider acts as the first contact and principal point of continuing care for patients within a healthcare system, and coordinates other specialist care t ...
funding towards capitation ('bulk funding'), and away from fee-for-service funding (2001).


Environment

*
Royal Commission on Genetically Modified Organisms Royal may refer to: People * Royal (name), a list of people with either the surname or given name * A member of a royal family Places United States * Royal, Arkansas, an unincorporated community * Royal, Illinois, a village * Royal, Iowa, a ci ...
* Sandra Lee enacted the
Local Government Act 2002 (New Zealand) The Local Government Act 2002 (sometimes known by its acronym, LGA) is an Act of New Zealand's Parliament that defines local government in New Zealand. There are 73 territorial authorities (local districts), each with an elected Mayor and elect ...
. * In 2002, the
Climate Change Response Act 2002 The Climate Change Response Act 2002 is an Act of Parliament passed by the government of New Zealand. The Climate Change Response Act 2002 created a legal framework for New Zealand to ratify the Kyoto Protocol and to meet obligations under the ...
was enacted in order to ratify
Kyoto Protocol The Kyoto Protocol was an international treaty which extended the 1992 United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) that commits state parties to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, based on the scientific consensus that (part ...
to the UNFCCC. * In September 2008, the
New Zealand Emissions Trading Scheme The New Zealand Emissions Trading Scheme (NZ ETS) is an all-gases partial-coverage uncapped domestic emissions trading scheme that features price floors, forestry offsetting, free allocation and auctioning of emissions units. The NZ ETS was fi ...
was enacted through the
Climate Change Response (Emissions Trading) Amendment Act 2008 The Climate Change Response (Emissions Trading) Amendment Act 2008 was a statute enacted in September 2008 by the Fifth Labour Government of New Zealand that established the first version of the New Zealand Emissions Trading Scheme, a national a ...
.


National identity

* Completed Establishing a fully New Zealand-based
honours system An order is a visible honour awarded by a sovereign state, monarch, dynastic house or organisation to a person, typically in recognition of individual merit, that often comes with distinctive insignia such as collars, medals, badges, and sashes ...
(2000).


Foreign affairs

* Signed free trade agreements with
Brunei Brunei ( , ), formally Brunei Darussalam ( ms, Negara Brunei Darussalam, Jawi alphabet, Jawi: , ), is a country located on the north coast of the island of Borneo in Southeast Asia. Apart from its South China Sea coast, it is completely sur ...
,
Chile Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in the western part of South America. It is the southernmost country in the world, and the closest to Antarctica, occupying a long and narrow strip of land between the Andes to the east a ...
,
China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...
,
Singapore Singapore (), officially the Republic of Singapore, is a sovereign island country and city-state in maritime Southeast Asia. It lies about one degree of latitude () north of the equator, off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, borde ...
, and
Thailand Thailand ( ), historically known as Siam () and officially the Kingdom of Thailand, is a country in Southeast Asia, located at the centre of the Indochinese Peninsula, spanning , with a population of almost 70 million. The country is bo ...
. * Scrapped the combat wing of the
Royal New Zealand Air Force The Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF) ( mi, Te Tauaarangi o Aotearoa, "The Warriors of the Sky of New Zealand"; previously ', "War Party of the Blue") is the aerial service branch of the New Zealand Defence Force. It was formed from New Zeala ...
. * Sent a detachment of SAS troops to the
war in Afghanistan War in Afghanistan, Afghan war, or Afghan civil war may refer to: *Conquest of Afghanistan by Alexander the Great (330 BC – 327 BC) *Muslim conquests of Afghanistan (637–709) *Conquest of Afghanistan by the Mongol Empire (13th century), see als ...
. * Sent troops to
Solomon Islands Solomon Islands is an island country consisting of six major islands and over 900 smaller islands in Oceania, to the east of Papua New Guinea and north-west of Vanuatu. It has a land area of , and a population of approx. 700,000. Its capita ...
as part of the
Regional Assistance Mission to Solomon Islands The Regional Assistance Mission to Solomon Islands (RAMSI), also known as Operation Helpem Fren, Operation Anode and Operation Rata (by New Zealand), was created in 2003 in response to a request for international aid by the Governor-General of ...
* Sent troops to
East Timor East Timor (), also known as Timor-Leste (), officially the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste, is an island country in Southeast Asia. It comprises the eastern half of the island of Timor, the exclave of Oecusse on the island's north-weste ...
during the
2006 East Timorese crisis The 2006 East Timorese crisis began as a conflict between elements of the military of East Timor over discrimination within the military and expanded to a coup attempt and general violence throughout the country, centred in the capital Dili. Th ...
. * Sent troops and police to
Tonga Tonga (, ; ), officially the Kingdom of Tonga ( to, Puleʻanga Fakatuʻi ʻo Tonga), is a Polynesian country and archipelago. The country has 171 islands – of which 45 are inhabited. Its total surface area is about , scattered over in ...
after the 2006 Nuku‘alofa riots. * Did not send combat troops to the
Iraq War {{Infobox military conflict , conflict = Iraq War {{Nobold, {{lang, ar, حرب العراق (Arabic) {{Nobold, {{lang, ku, شەڕی عێراق (Kurdish languages, Kurdish) , partof = the Iraq conflict (2003–present), I ...
. * Launched
Project Protector Project Protector was a Royal New Zealand Navy (RNZN) procurement project that was undertaken during the 2000s. At the start of the decade, the New Zealand government tasked the New Zealand Defence Force to develop an equal combat, peacekeeping, an ...
, to expand the
Royal New Zealand Navy The Royal New Zealand Navy (RNZN; mi, Te Taua Moana o Aotearoa, , Sea Warriors of New Zealand) is the maritime arm of the New Zealand Defence Force. The fleet currently consists of nine ships. The Navy had its origins in the Naval Defence Act ...
's capacity. * Launched free trade negotiations with
South Korea South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia, constituting the southern part of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and sharing a Korean Demilitarized Zone, land border with North Korea. Its western border is formed ...
and
Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...
.


Appointments

The following positions were appointed by the Queen on the advice of the Government:


Governor-General

* The Hon. Dame
Silvia Cartwright Dame Silvia Rose Cartwright (née Poulter; born 7 November 1943) is a New Zealand jurist who served as the 18th Governor-General of New Zealand, from 2001 to 2006. She was the second woman to hold the office, after Dame Catherine Tizard. Early ...
(2001–2006) * The Right Hon. Sir
Anand Satyanand Sir Anand Satyanand, (born 22 July 1944) is a former lawyer, judge and ombudsman who served as the 19th Governor-General of New Zealand from 2006 to 2011. Satyanand was chair of the Commonwealth Foundation for two 2-year terms, ending in De ...
(2006–2011)


Supreme Court

With the creation of the
Supreme Court of New Zealand The Supreme Court of New Zealand ( mi, Te Kōti Mana Nui, lit=Court of Great Mana) is the highest court and the court of last resort of New Zealand. It formally came into being on 1 January 2004 and sat for the first time on 1 July 2004. It re ...
in 2003, the government appointed the first full bench of the Court. * Chief Justice The Right Hon. Dame
Sian Elias Dame Sian Seerpoohi Elias (born 13 March 1949) is a New Zealand former Government official, who served as the 12th Chief Justice of New Zealand, and was therefore the most senior member of the country's judiciary. She was the presiding judge o ...
(1 July 2004) * Justice The Hon. Sir
Thomas Gault Sir Thomas Munro Gault (, 31 October 1938 – 19 May 2015) was a New Zealand jurist. He was a Justice of the Supreme Court of New Zealand and a member of the Privy Council of the United Kingdom as well as a non-permanent judge of the Court o ...
(1 July 2004) * Justice The Hon. Sir
Kenneth Keith Sir Kenneth James Keith (born 19 November 1937) is a New Zealand judge. He was elected to the International Court of Justice in November 2005, serving a nine-year term during the years 2006 through 2015. Keith was educated at the Auckland Gra ...
(1 July 2004) * Justice The Hon. Sir
Peter Blanchard Sir Peter Blanchard (born 2 August 1942) is a former judge of the Supreme Court of New Zealand. Biography Blanchard was born in the Auckland suburb of Epsom on 2 August 1942, the son of Cyril and Zora Blanchard. His father served as a flying o ...
(1 July 2004) * Justice The Hon. Sir
Andrew Tipping Sir Andrew Patrick Charles Tipping (; born 22 August 1942) is a New Zealand jurist who served as a Justice of the Supreme Court of New Zealand from 2004 until his retirement in 2012. He was also a member of the Privy Council of the United Ki ...
(1 July 2004) * Justice The Hon. John McGrath (4 May 2005) * Justice The Hon. Sir Noel Crossley Anderson (21 February 2006) * Justice The Hon. Bill Wilson (21 December 2007) Acting judges were also appointed from the retired judges of the Court of Appeal: * The Hon. Justice Sir John Henry * The Hon. Justice Sir Ted Thomas * Former President of the Court of Appeal Sir
Ivor Richardson Sir Ivor Lloyd Morgan Richardson (24 May 1930 – 29 December 2014) was an eminent New Zealand and Commonwealth jurist and legal writer and a member of the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council. Education He was a student at Timaru Boys' H ...
* Former Chief Justice Sir
Thomas Eichelbaum Sir Johann Thomas Eichelbaum (17 May 1931 – 31 October 2018) was a New Zealand jurist who served as the 11th Chief Justice of New Zealand. Early life and family Eichelbaum was born in Königsberg, Germany, and his family emigrated to Wellin ...
.


Court of Appeal

The government appointed three presidents of the
Court of Appeal of New Zealand The Court of Appeal of New Zealand is the principal intermediate appellate court of New Zealand. It is also the final appellate court for a number of matters. In practice, most appeals are resolved at this intermediate appellate level, rather t ...
: * The Right Hon. Sir
William Young William, Will, Bill or Billy Young may refer to: Arts and entertainment * William Young (composer) (died 1662), English composer and viola da gambist * William Young (architect) (1843–1900), Scottish architect, designer of Glasgow City Chambers ...
, KNZM 23 February 2006 – 1 July 2010 * The Hon Sir Noel Crossley Anderson, KNZM 1 January 2004 – 23 February 2006 * The Right Hon. Sir
Thomas Gault Sir Thomas Munro Gault (, 31 October 1938 – 19 May 2015) was a New Zealand jurist. He was a Justice of the Supreme Court of New Zealand and a member of the Privy Council of the United Kingdom as well as a non-permanent judge of the Court o ...
, KNZM 24 May 2002 – 31 December 2003


Formation

The Fifth Labour government was elected in the 1999 general election, after entering a coalition with the Alliance Party and a confidence and supply agreement with the
Green Party A green party is a formally organized political party based on the principles of green politics, such as social justice, environmentalism and nonviolence. Greens believe that these issues are inherently related to one another as a foundation ...
. Labour managed to increase their percentage of the votes by 10.5% and won 12 more seats than in the 1996 election. With this coalition in place the Labour Party returned to government for the first time in nine years, and
Helen Clark Helen Elizabeth Clark (born 26 February 1950) is a New Zealand politician who served as the 37th prime minister of New Zealand from 1999 to 2008, and was the administrator of the United Nations Development Programme from 2009 to 2017. She was ...
became New Zealand's first elected female Prime Minister. The 1999 election also became Labour's first successful MMP election.


The 2002 election

The 2002 Election was held a few weeks before the Parliamentary term elapsed. This had only occurred twice before in New Zealand's political history, in
1951 Events January * January 4 – Korean War: Third Battle of Seoul – Chinese and North Korean forces capture Seoul for the second time (having lost the Second Battle of Seoul in September 1950). * January 9 – The Government of the United ...
and
1984 Events January * January 1 – The Bornean Sultanate of Brunei gains full independence from the United Kingdom, having become a British protectorate in 1888. * January 7 – Brunei becomes the sixth member of the Association of Southeast A ...
. The Government cited the collapse of the Alliance Party, with whom they had entered a coalition in 1999 as the reason for the earlier date. The Alliance Party had split after
Jim Anderton James Patrick Anderton (born Byrne; 21 January 1938 – 7 January 2018) was a New Zealand politician who led a succession of left-wing parties after leaving the Labour Party in 1989. Anderton's political career began when he was elected to th ...
, their leader, left to form the Progressive Coalition Party. However, some critics believe that Labour could have continued to govern for the remaining few weeks. They say that the election was called early to capitalise on high opinion poll ratings before they could be undermined by a potential softening in the New Zealand economic performance. After initial polls indicated Labour may have enough votes to govern alone, a feat which had never occurred under MMP in New Zealand, they won 41.3% of the vote and 52 seats. Although this meant they improved on their results in the 1999 election, it was not enough to govern alone. As a result, Labour entered a coalition with the new Progressive Coalition Party. Additionally, they entered a confidence and supply agreement with
United Future United Future New Zealand, usually known as United Future, was a centrist political party in New Zealand. The party was in government between 2005 and 2017, first alongside Labour (2005–2008) and then supporting National (2008–2017). Uni ...
. Labour's success was highlighted by the National Party's demise as they accrued a record low 20.9% of the vote.


The 2005 election

After some initial doubt as to what date the election would be held, 17 September was the chosen day. After falling behind
National National may refer to: Common uses * Nation or country ** Nationality – a ''national'' is a person who is subject to a nation, regardless of whether the person has full rights as a citizen Places in the United States * National, Maryland, ce ...
in the initial opinion polls, Labour fought back to obtain 41.1% of the vote. Although this saw a 0.2% decrease from the previous election, it still saw them sit ahead of National by 2%. The 2005 election saw a dramatic fall in the success of the minor parties.
New Zealand First New Zealand First ( mi, Aotearoa Tuatahi), commonly abbreviated to NZ First, is a nationalist and populist political party in New Zealand. The party formed in July 1993 following the resignation on 19 March 1993 of its leader and founder, Winst ...
and
United Future United Future New Zealand, usually known as United Future, was a centrist political party in New Zealand. The party was in government between 2005 and 2017, first alongside Labour (2005–2008) and then supporting National (2008–2017). Uni ...
each won less than half of the percentage of total votes they achieved in 2002. In order to reach the required majority, Labour entered confidence and supply agreements with New Zealand First and United Future. This was done in addition to a coalition agreement with the Progressive Coalition Party, of whom only
Jim Anderton James Patrick Anderton (born Byrne; 21 January 1938 – 7 January 2018) was a New Zealand politician who led a succession of left-wing parties after leaving the Labour Party in 1989. Anderton's political career began when he was elected to th ...
obtained a seat. The newly formed Maori Party accrued four seats. After only being formed in 2004 as a result of the controversial Foreshore and Seabed Act they oversaw a successful campaign based on a critical assessment of Labour's record with Maori issues. Their success was highlighted by the decline of ACT New Zealand, who won two seats, and the Progressive Coalition and United Future who each won only a single seat.


Defeat


Election results

The following table shows the total votes* for Labour, plus parties supporting the Labour-led government. For more details of election results, see the relevant election articles. * 'Votes' means party votes only. 'Seats' means both list and electorate seats.


Notes

* Following the 1999 election, Labour formed a coalition with the Alliance Party, and gained support on matters of
confidence and supply In a parliamentary democracy based on the Westminster system, confidence and supply are required for a ruling cabinet to retain power in the lower house. A confidence-and-supply agreement is one whereby a party or independent members of parl ...
from the Greens. * Following the 2002 election, Labour formed a coalition with the
Progressive Party Progressive Party may refer to: Active parties * Progressive Party, Brazil * Progressive Party (Chile) * Progressive Party of Working People, Cyprus * Dominica Progressive Party * Progressive Party (Iceland) * Progressive Party (Sardinia), Ita ...
, and gained support on matters of confidence and supply from
United Future United Future New Zealand, usually known as United Future, was a centrist political party in New Zealand. The party was in government between 2005 and 2017, first alongside Labour (2005–2008) and then supporting National (2008–2017). Uni ...
. The Greens also entered into a formal agreement with the government, but it was not as strong as the agreements covering confidence and supply it made in the preceding and following parliaments. * Following the 2005 election, Labour formed a coalition with the Progressive Party, and gained support on matters of confidence and supply from
New Zealand First New Zealand First ( mi, Aotearoa Tuatahi), commonly abbreviated to NZ First, is a nationalist and populist political party in New Zealand. The party formed in July 1993 following the resignation on 19 March 1993 of its leader and founder, Winst ...
and United Future. The Greens signed an agreement to abstain on votes of confidence and supply, giving the Labour-led Government a majority. The
Māori Party Māori or Maori can refer to: Relating to the Māori people * Māori people of New Zealand, or members of that group * Māori language, the language of the Māori people of New Zealand * Māori culture * Cook Islanders, the Māori people of the Co ...
also abstained on confidence and supply votes but had no formal agreement with the Government.


Prime minister

Helen Clark Helen Elizabeth Clark (born 26 February 1950) is a New Zealand politician who served as the 37th prime minister of New Zealand from 1999 to 2008, and was the administrator of the United Nations Development Programme from 2009 to 2017. She was ...
was
Prime Minister A prime minister, premier or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. Under those systems, a prime minister is not ...
from when the government was elected in 1999 until it was defeated by the National Party in the 2008 elections. File:Helen Clark official photo (cropped).jpg,
Helen Clark Helen Elizabeth Clark (born 26 February 1950) is a New Zealand politician who served as the 37th prime minister of New Zealand from 1999 to 2008, and was the administrator of the United Nations Development Programme from 2009 to 2017. She was ...

served 1999–2008


Cabinet Ministers


See also

* Governments of New Zealand *
New Zealand Labour Party The New Zealand Labour Party ( mi, Rōpū Reipa o Aotearoa), or simply Labour (), is a centre-left political party in New Zealand. The party's platform programme describes its founding principle as democratic socialism, while observers descr ...


References


Further reading

* Boston, Jonathan. ''Left Turn: The New Zealand general election of 1999'' (Victoria U.P, 2000) * * * Levine, Stephen and Nigel S. Roberts, eds. ''The Baubles of Office: The New Zealand General Election of 2005'' (Victoria U.P, 2007) * Levine, Stephen and Nigel S. Roberts, eds. ''Key to Victory: The New Zealand General Election of 2008'' (Victoria U.P, 2010) * Welch, Denis. ''Helen Clark: A Political Life'' (2009) 240pp {{DEFAULTSORT:Fifth Labour Government of New Zealand Ministries of Elizabeth II Labour 5 New Zealand Labour Party 1999 in New Zealand 2000s in New Zealand 1999 establishments in New Zealand 2008 disestablishments in New Zealand Cabinets established in 1999 Cabinets disestablished in 2008 Helen Clark Coalition governments