List of parliaments of New Zealand

Since the adoption of the New Zealand Constitution Act 1852, which granted New Zealand self-governance, New Zealand has had its own parliament. Regular elections to the New Zealand House of Representatives have been held since the first in 1853.

This page lists every parliament of New Zealand along with: ^{[1] [2]}

• its corresponding general election and the date(s) of that election;
• the term for which that parliament met; and
• the partisan makeup of each parliament after the introduction of political parties (this does not include later changes to parliamentary composition).

Note that it was not until the election of members of the 8th Parliament in 1881 that all positions were filled on the same day. Until then, polls were held in individual electorates on different days within an election period. Elections for members of Māori electorates, which commenced with supplementary elections in 1868, were held separately from elections for general electorates until the election of the 30th Parliament in 1951.

List of parliaments

Key for political party colours (see also: List of political parties in New Zealand )

Li  Liberal

Co  Conservative

Re  Reform

Un  United

La  Labour

Co  Country

Na  National

Sc  Social Credit

Al  Alliance

Fi  NZ First

Ac  ACT

Gr  Green

Uf  United Future

Pr  Progressive

Mi  Māori

In Independent

_ Other

Parliaments of New Zealand

Parliament	Election			Term of Parliament		Parliamentary makeup (as at date of election)
	Year	Date	Turnout	Start	End
1st	1853	14 July 1853 – 1 October 1853 (general); — (Māori)	—	24 May 1854	15 September 1855	37: In 37
2nd	1855	26 October 1855 – 28 December 1855 (general); — (Māori)	—	15 April 1856	5 November 1860	37: In 37
3rd	1860/61	12 December 1860 – 28 March 1861 (general); — (Māori)	—	3 June 1861	30 October 1865	53: In 53
4th	1866/1868	12 February 1866 – 6 April 1866 (general); 15 April 1868 – 20 June 1868 (Māori)	—	30 June 1866	13 September 1870	70: In 70
5th	1871	14 January 1871 – 23 February 1871 (general); 1 February 1871 – 15 February 1871 (Māori)	—	14 August 1871	21 October 1875	78: In 78
6th	1875/76	20 December 1875 – 29 January 1876 (general); 4 January 1876 – 15 January 1876 (Māori)	—	15 June 1876	11 August 1879	88: In 88
7th	1879	28 August 1879 – 15 September 1879 (general); 8 September 1879 (Māori)	66.50%	24 September 1879	24 September 1881	88: In 88
8th	1881	8 December 1881 (general); 9 December 1881 (Māori)	66.50%	18 May 1882	24 June 1884	95: In 95
9th	1884	21 July 1884 (general); 22 July 1884 (Māori)	60.60%	7 August 1884	10 June 1887	95: In 95
10th	1887	7 September 1887 (general); 26 September 1887 (Māori)	67.10%	6 October 1887	17 September 1890	95: In 95
11th	1890	27 November 1890 (general); 5 December 1890 (Māori)	80.40%	23 January 1891	6 October 1893	74: Li 40Co 25In 9
12th	1893	28 November 1893 (general); 20 December 1893 (Māori)	75.20%	21 June 1894	17 October 1896	74: Li 51Co 13In 10
13th	1896	4 December 1896 (general); 19 December 1896 (Māori)	76.10%	6 April 1897	23 October 1899	74: Li 39Co 26In 9
14th	1899	6 December 1899 (general); 19 December 1899 (Māori)	77.60%	21 June 1900	3 October 1902	74: Li 49Co 19In 6
15th	1902	5 November 1902 (general); 22 December 1902 (Māori)	76.70%	29 June 1903	30 October 1905	80: Li 47Co 19In 14
16th	1905	6 December 1905 (general); 20 December 1905 (Māori)	83.30%	27 June 1906	10 October 1908	80: Li 58Co 16In 4_ 2
17th	1908	17 November 1908 (general); 2 December 1908 (Māori)	79.80%	10 June 1909	28 October 1911	80: Li 50Co 26_ 1In 3
18th	1911	7 December 1911 (general); 19 December 1911 (Māori)	83.50%	15 February 1912	5 November 1914	80: Re 37Li 33In 6_ 4
19th	1914	10 December 1914 (general); 11 December 1914 (Māori)	84.70%	24 June 1915	5 November 1919	80: Re 40Li 34_ 5In 1
20th	1919	16 December 1919 [fn 1] (general); 17 December 1919 (Māori)	80.50%	24 June 1920	31 October 1922	80: Re 45Li 19La 8In 8
21st	1922	6 December 1922 (general); 7 December 1922 (Māori)	88.70%	7 February 1923	1 October 1925	80: Re 37Li 22La 17In 4
22nd	1925	3 November 1925 (general); 4 November 1925 (Māori)	90.90%	16 June 1926	9 October 1928	80: Re 55La 12Li 11In 2
23rd	1928	13 October 1928 (general); 14 October 1928 (Māori)	88.10%	4 December 1928	11 November 1931	80: Un 27Re 27La 19In 6Co 1
24th	1931	1 December 1931 (general); 2 December 1931 (Māori)	83.30%	23 February 1932	26 October 1935	80: Re 28La 24Un 19In 8Co 1
25th	1935	26 November 1935 [fn 2] (general); 27 November 1935 (Māori)	90.80%	25 March 1936	16 September 1938	80: La 53Re 9Un 7In 7Co 2_ 2
26th	1938	14 October 1938 (general); 15 October 1938 (Māori)	92.90%	27 June 1939	26 August 1943	80: La 53Na 25In 2
27th	1943	24 September 1943 [fn 3] (general); 25 September 1943 (Māori)	82.80%	22 February 1944	12 October 1946	80: La 45Na 34In 1
28th	1946	26 November 1946 (general); 27 November 1946 (Māori)	93.50%	24 June 1947	21 October 1949	80: La 42Na 38
29th	1949	29 November 1949 (general); 30 November 1949 (Māori)	93.50%	27 June 1950	13 July 1951	80: Na 46La 34
30th	1951	1 September 1951 [fn 4]	89.10%	25 September 1951	1 October 1954	80: Na 50La 30
31st	1954	13 November 1954	91.40%	22 March 1955	25 October 1957	80: Na 45La 35
32nd	1957	30 November 1957 [fn 5]	92.90%	21 January 1958	28 October 1960	80: La 41Na 39
33rd	1960	26 November 1960 [fn 5]	89.80%	29 June 1961	25 October 1963	80: Na 46La 34
34th	1963	30 November 1963 [fn 5]	89.60%	10 June 1964	29 October 1966	80: Na 45La 35
35th	1966	26 November 1966 [fn 5]	86.00%	26 April 1967	24 October 1969	80: Na 44La 35Sc 1
36th	1969	29 November 1969 [fn 5]	88.90%	12 March 1970	5 July 1974	84: Na 45La 39
37th	1972	25 November 1972 [fn 5]	89.10%	14 February 1973	10 October 1975	87: La 55Na 32
38th	1975	29 November 1975 [fn 5]	82.50%	22 June 1976	6 October 1978	87: Na 55La 32
39th	1978	25 November 1978 [fn 5]	69.20% [fn 6]	16 May 1979	23 October 1981	92: Na 51La 40Sc 1
40th	1981	28 November 1981 [fn 5]	91.40%	6 April 1982	14 June 1984	92: Na 47La 43Sc 2
41st	1984	14 July 1984 [fn 7]	93.70%	15 August 1984	29 July 1987	95: La 56Na 37Sc 2
42nd	1987	15 August 1987	89.10%	16 September 1987	6 September 1990	97: La 57Na 40
43rd	1990	27 October 1990	85.20%	28 November 1990	23 September 1993	97: Na 67La 29_ 1
44th	1993	6 November 1993	85.20%	21 December 1993	27 August 1996	99: Na 50La 45Al 2Fi 2
45th	1996	12 October 1996 [fn 8]	88.30%	12 December 1996	5 October 1999	120: Na 44La 37Fi 17Al 13Ac 8_ 1
46th	1999	27 November 1999 [fn 5]	84.10%	20 December 1999	11 June 2002	120: La 49Na 39Al 10Ac 9Gr 7Fi 5_ 1
47th	2002	27 July 2002 [fn 9]	77.00%	26 August 2002	2 August 2005	120: La 52Na 27Fi 13Ac 9Gr 9Uf 8Pr 2
48th	2005	17 September 2005	80.90%	7 November 2005	23 September 2008	121: La 50Na 48Fi 7Gr 6Mi 4Uf 3Ac 2Pr 1
49th	2008	8 November 2008	78.70%	8 December 2008	6 October 2011	122: Na 58La 43Gr 9Mi 5Ac 5Uf 1Pr 1
50th	2011	26 November 2011 [fn 5]	74.20%	20 December 2011	31 July 2014	121: Na 59La 34Gr 14Fi 8Mi 3Ac 1Uf 1_ 1
51st	2014	20 September 2014	77.90%	20 October 2014	18 August 2017	121: Na 60La 32Gr 14Fi 11Mi 2Ac 1Uf 1
52nd	2017	23 September 2017	79.80%	7 November 2017	6 September 2020	120: Na 56La 46Fi 9Gr 8Ac 1
53rd	2020	17 October 2020	82.50%	25 November 2020	8 September 2023	120: La 65Na 33Gr 10Ac 10Mi 2
54th	2023	14 October 2023	78.20%	5 December 2023	Current	123: Na 49La 34Gr 15Ac 11Fi 8Mi 6

See also

• List of New Zealand governments

References

1. "1853-2020 general elections: Overview". Vote.nz. Electoral Commission.
2. "1890–1993 general elections: Overview". Vote.nz. Electoral Commission.

Footnotes

1. Delayed due to World War I.
2. Delayed in hopes of better economic conditions.
3. Delayed due to World War II.
4. Snap election due to waterfront strike.
5. General election held on last Saturday of November.
6. Due to major problems with the enrolment process, commentators generally consider that the 1978 election had a significantly higher turnout than official figures indicate. ^[1]
7. Muldoon's snap election.
8. Called early to circumvent a by-election in Hawkes Bay.
9. Clark's snap election.