1993 New Zealand general election

Biographical Overview & Key Facts

Subject:

1993 New Zealand general election

Role / Field:

The 1993 New Zealand general election determined the 44th Parliament and saw electoral reform.

Database Source:

2Day Chrono-Wiki & Wikipedia CC BY-SA 4.0

Origins & Foundations

The 1993 New Zealand general election was held on 6 November 1993 to determine the composition of the 44th New Zealand Parliament. Voters elected 99 members to the House of Representatives, up from 97 members at the 1990 election. The election was held concurrently with an electoral reform referendum to replace the first-past-the-post system, with all members elected from single-member electorates, with mixed-member proportional representation. The referendum carried by 53.9% to 46.1%.

Key Developments & Impact

Due to the result of the referendum, this was the last NZ election where all the members were elected by direct election in districts. Prior to the next election, NZ shifted to a mixed member proportional system. The election re-elected the governing National Party, led by Jim Bolger, to a second term in office, despite a major swing away from National in both seats and votes. Having broken electoral campaign promises and embarked on supply-side economics and wide-sweeping cuts during his first term, Bolger led the most unpopular government since the Great Depression. The neoliberal actions of Ruth Richardson, his Minister of Finance, were termed Ruthanasia by the media, and her Mother of all Budgets...

Chronological Milestones & Life Events

1. 1990: 1990 Milestone — Voters elected 99 members to the House of Representatives, up from 97 members at the 1990 election.
2. 1993: 1993 Milestone — The 1993 New Zealand general election was held on 6 November 1993 to determine the composition of the 44th New Zealand Parliament.

Historical Fact-Check Quiz: 1993 New Zealand general election

True or False: “The 1993 New Zealand general election was the last time all members were elected solely through the first-past-the-post system.”

Answer (FALSE ❌): The 1993 election was the last one where all members were elected by direct district election, but the subsequent shift was to a mixed-member proportional system.

Contemporary Figures & Related Historical Timelines

• A. N. Sherwin-White — Historical peer (Died in 1993) (1993): British academic and ancient historian, specializing in Roman law and society.
• Adam Ondra — Historical peer (Born in 1993) (1993): Czech professional rock climber, specializing in lead, bouldering, and competition.
• A. J. P. Taylor — Historical peer (Died in 1990) (1990): Influential English historian specializing in 19th and 20th-century European diplomacy.
• Aaron Copland — Historical peer (Died in 1990) (1990): Pioneering American composer, conductor, and critic, known as the "Dean of American Music".

Frequently Asked Questions about 1993 New Zealand general election