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    General elections 1890-1993 - seats won by party

    Election

    Major parties[1]

    Other parties and independents

     

    seats

    % of votes

    seats

    % of votes

    seats

    % of votes

    seats[2]

    % of votes

    1890

    Liberal[3]

    38

    56.2

    'Conservative'[4]

    25

    28.9

       

    independents 7,
    others 4

    15.0

    1893

    51

    57.8

    13

    24.5

       

    independents 6,
    others 4

    17.7

    1896

    39

    46.0

    25

    37.4

       

    independents 6,
    others 4

    16.6

    1899

    49

    52.7

    19

    36.6

       

    independents 2,
    others 4

    10.7

    1902

    47

    51.8

    19

    20.6

       

    independents 10,
    others 4

    27.7

    1905

    58

    53.1

    16

    29.7

       

    independents 6,
    others 0

    17.2

    1908

    50

    58.7

    26

    27.8

    'Labour'[5]

    1

    4.1

    independents 3,
    others 0

    9.4

    1911

    33

    40.7

    Reform Party

    37

    34.6

    4

    8.5

    independents 6,
    others 0

    16.2

    1914

    33

    43.1

    41

    46.9

    6

    9.3

    independents 0,
    others 0

    0.8

    1919

    21

    28.2

    47

    36.0

    Labour Party

    8

    23.8

    independents 4,
    others 0

    12.1

    1922

    22

    26.3

    37

    39.4

    17

    23.7

    independents 4,
    others 0

    10.7

    1925

    11

    20.4

    55

    46.5

    12

    27.3

    independents 2,
    others 0

    5.9

    1928

    United Party

    27

    29.8

    27

    34.8

    19

    26.2

    Country Party 1, independents 6,
    others 0

    9.2

    1931

       

    United-Reform Coalition

    51

    55.4

    24

    34.3

    Country Party 1

    independents 4,
    others 0

    2.3

    8.0

    1935

       

    United-Reform ('National')


    19

    32.9

    53

    +Ratana

    2[6]

    46.1

     

    1.0

    Country Party 2

    Democrat Party 0

    independents 4,
    others 0

    2.5

    7.8

    9.7

    1938

       

    National Party

    25

    40.3

    53

    55.8

    independents 2,
    others 0

    3.9

    1943

       

    34

    42.8

    45

    47.6

    Democratic Labour 0

    independents 1,
    others 0

    4.3

    5.4

    1946

       

    38

    48.4

    42

    51.3

    others 0

    0.3

    1949

       

    46

    51.9

    34

    47.2

    others 0

    1.0

    1951

       

    50

    54.0

    30

    45.8

    others 0

    0.2

    1954

       

    45

    44.3

    35

    44.1

    Social Credit 0

    others 0

    11.1

    0.5

    1957

       

    39

    44.2

    41

    48.3

    Social Credit 0

    others 0

    7.2

    0.3

    1960

       

    46

    47.6

    34

    43.4

    Social Credit 0

    others 0

    8.6

    0.4

    1963

       

    45

    47.1

    35

    43.7

    Social Credit 0

    others 0

    7.9

    1.3

    1966

       

    44

    43.6

    35

    41.4

    Social Credit 1

    others 0

    14.5

    0.4

    1969

       

    45

    45.2

    39

    44.2

    Social Credit 0

    others 0

    9.1

    1.5

    1972

       

    32

    41.5

    55

    48.4

    Social Credit 0

    Values 0

    others 0

    6.7

    2.0

    1.6

    1975

       

    55

    47.6

    32

    39.6

    Social Credit 0

    Values 0

    others 0

    7.4

    5.2

    0.2

    1978

       

    51

    39.8

    40

    40.4

    Social Credit 1

    Values 0

    others 0

    16.1

    2.4

    1.3

    1981

       

    47

    38.8

    43

    39.0

    Social Credit 2

    Values 0

    others 0

    20.7

    0.2

    1.4

    1984

       

    37

    35.9

    56

    43.0

    Social Credit 2

    NZ Party 0

    Values 0

    others 0

    7.6

    12.3

    0.2

    1.0

    1987

       

    40

    44.0

    57

    48.0

    Democrats[7] 0

    NZ Party 0

    Values 0

    Mana Motuhake 0

    others 0

    5.7

    0.3

    0.1

    0.5

    1.4

    1990

       

    67

    47.8

    29

    35.1

    Democrats 0

    Mana Motuhake 0

    Greens 0

    NewLabour 1

    others 0

    1.7

    0.6

    6.8

    5.2

    2.8

    1993

       

    50

    35.1

    45

    34.7

    Alliance[8] 2

    NZ First 2

    others 0

    18.2

    8.4

    3.7

    [1] Party allegiances and labels were relatively fluid until the late 1930s, and the figures for 1890-1935 are approximations only. Party allegiances were not included in official election returns until 1957.

    [2] the allegiances of the MPs representing the four Maori electorates from 1890 to 1902 are difficult to determine. these MPs are listed as 'others' in this column until 1902, but are included in the party figures from 1905.

    [3] the Liberal 'Party' was loosely organised (especially at the national level) until at least 1899, and subsequently fragmented in the 1920s. Some members contested the 1922 election as Liberal-Labour, and the 1925 election as National, while others still called themselves Liberals. these factions, joined by some Reform supporters, combined to fight the 1928 election as the United Party.

    [4] the label the Liberals applied to their opponents, some of whom described themselves as 'Reform' before the formation of the Reform Party as an organised national party in 1909.

    [5] Seats and votes from 1908 to 1914 are approximate. Prior to the establishment of the second New Zealand Labour Party in 1916, various 'labour' candidates stood for the Socialist Party (first formed in 1901-2), the Independent Political Labour League (established in 1905), local Labour Representation Committees, the first New Zealand Labour Party (1910-12), the United Labour Party (1912-14), the Social Democratic Party (1913-16), or as 'independent labour'.

    [6] the Ratana MPs formally joined Labour's caucus in 1936.

    [7] Name changed from Social Credit.

    [8] A coalition of the NewLabour, Democrat, Green and Mana Motuhake parties.