The 1996 New Zealand Labour Party leadership election was intended to determine the future leadership of the New Zealand Labour Party. The leadership was retained by MP

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 ...

, who was the incumbent leader.

Background

Despite unseating

Mike Moore Michael Moore is an American filmmaker and author. Michael Moore may also refer to: Academia * Michael G. Moore (fl. 1970s–2020s), professor of education * Michael S. Moore (academic) (fl. 1960s–2020s), American law professor * Michael Moore ...

from the leadership Labour struggled against New Zealand First and the

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 ...

, after being already behind both National and the Alliance in numerous polls throughout 1995. By early 1996, it still continuously polling poorly, with some showing support below 20%. Labour was still associated with its unpopular

Rogernomics In February 1985, journalists at the '' New Zealand Listener'' coined the term Rogernomics, a portmanteau of "Roger" and "economics" (by analogy with "Reaganomics"), to describe the neoliberal economic policies followed by Roger Douglas. Dougl ...

image from the 1980s - which Clark was seeking to jettison. This was part of a wider divide inside Labour between its drastically differing left and right factions. Clark was of the left-leaning faction, attempting to restore Labour to it social-democratic roots, while those on the right-wing of Labour (such as Goff) were intent on retaining the deregulation and free trade policies of the 1980s, albeit more moderately.

Candidates

Helen Clark

Clark Clark is an English language surname, ultimately derived from the Latin with historical links to England, Scotland, and Ireland ''clericus'' meaning "scribe", "secretary" or a scholar within a religious order, referring to someone who was educate ...

had led Labour for nearly three years since her own leadership challenge in 1993 against

. She proved very unpopular in the country at the time and, at one point, had approval ratings of two percent nationally, but was seen regarded as a colossus within the Labour party itself by Goff and his allies. Clark had yet to connect with voters seeming aloof and wooden. Her widely acknowledged intelligence came across more as arrogance than aptitude.

Phil Goff

Goff Goff is a surname with several distinct origins, mainly Germanic, Celtic, Jewish, and French. It is the 946th most common family name in the United States. When the surname originates from England it is derived from an occupational name from G ...

had been a cabinet minister for the entirety of the

Fourth Labour Government The Fourth Labour Government of New Zealand governed New Zealand from 26 July 1984 to 2 November 1990. It was the first Labour government to win a second consecutive term since the First Labour Government of 1935 to 1949. The policy agenda o ...

, actually having more cabinet experience than Clark, who only became a minister in 1987. He was currently serving as the Shadow Minister of Justice under Clark. However, Goff was largely unknown, a dangerous factor only months from an election coupled with his hardline reputation as a

-era Minister (something Goff had vigorously supported), an image Labour was trying to shake. This caused many fence sitters to remain with the status-quo, fearing voter backlash.

Mike Moore

After losing the leadership to Clark, Moore had strongly considered forming a break-away party, the

New Zealand Democratic Coalition The New Zealand Democratic Coalition was a proposed moderate political party intended to contest the 1996 General Election. It would have been led by former Prime Minister Mike Moore and was intended to capture the balance of power on election n ...

with Geoff Braybrooke for the new MMP era, but then decided against it. A couple of Maori MPs told Goff's lieutenants they were willing to vote against Clark, but for Moore rather than Goff.

Result

A delegation of Goff and Labour frontbenchers

Annette King Dame Annette Faye King (née Robinson, born 13 September 1947) is a former New Zealand politician. She served as Deputy Leader of the New Zealand Labour Party and Deputy Leader of the Opposition from 2008 to 2011, and from 2014 until 1 March 20 ...

, Michael Cullen,

Jim Sutton James Robert Sutton (born 7 November 1941), generally known as Jim Sutton, is a New Zealand politician who was a Member of Parliament between 1984 and 1990 and again between 1993 and 2006. He has held a range of ministerial portfolios including ...

and

Koro Wētere Koro Tainui Wētere (22 June 1935 – 23 June 2018) was a New Zealand politician. He was an MP from 1969 to 1996, representing the Labour Party. He served as Minister of Māori Affairs in the Fourth Labour Government (1984–1990). Early lif ...

met with Clark in her office prior to a caucus meeting persuading her to stand down and informing her (in a ruse) that they had the numbers to oust her if she refused. Clark had been prepared for it and had already mobilised her own allies, her deputy

David Caygill David Francis Caygill (born 15 November 1948) is a former New Zealand politician. Caygill was born and raised in Christchurch. He entered politics in 1971 as Christchurch's youngest city councillor at the age of 22. He served as a Member of Pa ...

Trevor Mallard Trevor Colin Mallard (born 17 June 1954) is a New Zealand politician and member of the Labour Party. First elected to Parliament in 1984, he was Speaker of the New Zealand House of Representatives from 2017 until 2022. Mallard was a Cabinet m ...

, Steve Maharey and whip Jonathan Hunt (New Zealand politician), Jonathan Hunt. They had assured her that there were enough MPs loyal to her that the challenge could be averted. Clark stared Goff and his supporters down and ultimately remained leader. Over the period Caygill had been privately contemplating retiring from politics. On 7 June he informed Clark of his decision to stand down. On 11 June Caygill announced his retirement to a surprised caucus where Cullen was elected the new deputy leader unopposed. Only a day earlier the five frontbench MPs who had confronted Clark had said they wouldn't push for a leadership vote. Caygill said there had been no pressure on him to quit and hoped it would provide the "circuit-breaker" to Labour's troubles. Moore, who still held leadership ambitions, refused to comment on the positional change, saying only that he did not contest the deputy leadership because he was "a leader, not a deputy".

Outcome

Clark would lead Labour until she resigned in 2008. Clark was advised by her allies to demote Goff, but she chose not to. As feared, Labour lost the 1996 New Zealand general election, 1996 election, but did better than many earlier polls indicated. Clark would go on to win three consecutively (Labour's best showing since their first government) in 1999 New Zealand general election, 1999, 2002 New Zealand general election, 2002 and 2005 New Zealand general election, 2005. Goff would eventually become leader in 2008 New Zealand Labour Party leadership election, 2008 when Clark resigned following that year's election. As Goff had hosted a barbeque for his colleagues during the planning stage of the leadership challenge the term "BBQ" became a code word in New Zealand from then on for leadership coups.

Notes

References

* {{Helen Clark 1996 elections in New Zealand, Labour Party leadership New Zealand Labour Party leadership elections, 1996 Helen Clark 1996 political party leadership elections, New Zealand Labour Party leadership election