NZ South Island Party

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The NZ South Island Party is a New Zealand regionalist political party, advocating greater representational say for the South Island. The party is currently not registered any more. Its aims are along the lines of those of the Scottish National Party in Scotland, but steering clear of any call for full independence, and rather demanding a regional assembly to handle issues relating directly to the South Island.

The party is based in the Otago region, and led by Dunedin publican Pat McCarrigan and former trade unionist Alan McDonald. It was not very effective in achieving a wide acclaim, poor organisation and lack of financial resources probably being to blame. In the 1999 elections, the party put forward only five electorate candidates (with none in Canterbury) and seven list candidates.

The party won no seats in 1999, with just 0.14% of the vote across the whole country. Its highest percentage of the party vote in any seat was 1.5%, although one of their candidates received over 800 votes (2.6% of the votes cast in that electorate).

The party's registration was cancelled at its own request on 14 June 2002, and it did not contest the 2002 elections.

Despite the South Island Party's disappearance from the political radar, there is strong sentiment in the South Island for a greater degree of political self-determination. It is likely that a new Party will be formed in 2006 to contest the next general election with a view to establishing a Southern Assembly for the financial and administrative self-government of the South Island.

The South Island Independence movement is not a political party in its own right and may not be considered as being connected with the South Island Party, however its aims are generally regarded as being closely linked with those expressed by the South Island Party.

 

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