New Zealand general election, 1972
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The New Zealand general election of 1972 was held to elect MPs to the 37th session of the New Zealand Parliament. It saw the Labour Party, led by Norman Kirk, defeat the governing National Party.
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[edit] Background
The National Party had been in office since the 1960 elections, when it had defeated the short-lived Labour government of Walter Nash. For most of this period, National had been led by Keith Holyoake, whose policies were focused around stability and a "steady as she goes" approach. Holyoake's government was increasingly perceived as tired and worn-out, however, and shortly before the 1972 elections, Holyoake stood aside for his deputy, Jack Marshall. Marshall took various steps to reinvigorate the National Party, but the Labour Party continued to rise.
[edit] The election
The date for the 1972 elections was 25 November, a Saturday. 1,583,256 people were registered to vote, and there was a turnout of 89.1%. This turnout was slightly higher than the previous election, and considerably higher than the following one. The number of seats being contested was 87, the highest number since the late 19th century.
[edit] Results
The 1972 election saw the Labour Party defeat the governing National Party, winning 55 seats to National's 32. Labour was therefore able to form its first government since 1960, with Norman Kirk becoming Prime Minister. No minor parties managed to gain seats, and no independents were elected.
| Party | Candidates | Total votes | Percentage | Seats won | |
| Labour Party | 87 | 677,668 | 48.37% | 55 | |
| National Party | 87 | 581,422 | 41.50% | 32 | |
| Social Credit Party | 87 | 93,231 | 6.65% | - | |
| Values Party | 42 | 27,467 | 1.96% | - | |
| New Democratic Party | 86 | 9,213 | 0.66% | - | |
| Liberal Reform Party | 26 | 4,327 | 0.30% | - | |
| Socialist Unity Party | 5 | 414 | 0.03% | - | |
| Democratic Independent Labour Party | 1 | 251 | 0.02% | - | |
| Independent Political Association | 1 | 185 | 0.01% | - | |
| Union Membeship Optional Party | 3 | 139 | 0.01% | - | |
| Christian National Party | 1 | 136 | 0.01% | - | |
| Socialist Party | 1 | 83 | 0.01% | - | |
| Mad Hatter's Tea Party | 1 | 76 | 0.01% | - | |
| Anti-Maori Violence Pro Apartheid Party | 1 | 67 | 0.00% | - | |
| Family Man's Party | 1 | 56 | 0.00% | - | |
| Independents (including 3 Independent National, 1 Independent Labour, and 1 Independent Social Credit) |
19 | 6,292 | 0.45% | - |
