1997 in New Zealand

Incumbents

Regal and Vice Regal

*Head of State - Queen Elizabeth II, Queen of New Zealand
*Governor-General - The Rt Hon. Sir Michael Hardie Boys GNZM, GCMG, QSO [ [http://www.gg.govt.nz/gg/former.htm] ]

Government

The 45th New Zealand Parliament continued. Government was The National Party, led by Jim Bolger, in coalition with New Zealand First, led by Winston Peters.

*Speaker of the House - Doug Kidd
*Prime Minister - Jim Bolger then Jenny Shipley
*Deputy Prime Minister - Winston Peters
*Minister of Finance - Bill Birch
*Minister of Foreign Affairs - Don McKinnon

Parliamentary Leaders

*Labour - (37 seats) Helen Clark (Leader of the Opposition)
*Alliance - (13 seats) Jim Anderton
*ACT New Zealand - (8 seats) Richard Prebble
*United New Zealand- (1 seat) Peter Dunne

Main centre leaders

*Mayor of Auckland - Les Mills
*Mayor of Hamilton - Margaret Evans
*Mayor of Wellington - Mark Blumsky
*Mayor of Christchurch - Vicki Buck
*Mayor of Dunedin - Sukhi Turner

Events

*8 February: Stephen Anderson, 24, shoots 11 people, killing 6 of them (including his wife and parents) at Raurimu [ [http://www.cnn.com/WORLD/9702/09/new.zealand.update/ CNN report on Raurimu massacre] ] .
*16 July: List MP Alamein Kopu resigns from the Alliance Party but remains a member of parliament. This causes controversy because Kopu has signed contracts with the party that she would resign from Parliament should she leave the party. [ [http://www.crownlaw.govt.nz/uploads/Kopu.pdf Privileges committee report on the Kopu case] ]
*10 September: Parliament's privileges committee finds that Alamein Kopu is entitled to remain an independent MP.

Arts and literature

*Paddy Richardson wins the Robert Burns Fellowship.
*Montana New Zealand Book Awards:
**Book of the Year/Cultural Heritage: Jessie Munro, "The Story of Suzanne Aubert"
**First Book Awards
***Fiction: Dominic Sheehan, "Finding Home"
***Poetry: Diane Brow, "Before the Divorce We Go To Disneyland"
***Non-Fiction: Jessie Munro, "The Story of Suzanne Aubert"

See 1997 in art, 1997 in literature,

Music

See: 1997 in music

Radio and Television

*CanWest takes complete ownership of TV3 and launches TV4.
*TVNZ broadcasts MTV.
*July: Prime Television in Australia purchases 34 licences covering all major New Zealand centres.

See: 1997 in New Zealand television, 1997 in television, List of TVNZ television programming, , TV3 (New Zealand), , Public broadcasting in New Zealand

Film

*Lost Valley
*Topless Women Talk About Their Lives

See: , 1997 in film, List of New Zealand feature films, Cinema of New Zealand,

Internet

See: [http://www.wlug.org.nz/NewZealandInternetHistory NZ Internet History]

Appointments and awards

See: New Zealand Order of Merit , Order of New Zealand
*Archbishop of New Zealand
*Anglican Church in Aotearoa, New Zealand and Polynesia , see appointments to Diocese

port

Athletics

*Peter Buske wins his first national title in the men's marathon, clocking 2:20:49 on March 8 in New Plymouth, while Terri-Lee Farr claims her first in the women's championship (2:55:20).

Basketball

* The Men's NBL was won by the Auckland Stars
* Tall Blacks

Cricket

* Various Tours, New Zealand cricket team

Golf

* New Zealand Open won by Greg Turner

Horse racing

* See , list winners.

Netball

* Silver Ferns
* National Bank Cup

Rugby league

* The Auckland Warriors competed in the breakaway Super League and finished 7th of 10 teams.
* Bartercard Cup
* New Zealand national rugby league team

Rugby Union

* Super 12
* Rugby Union World Cup
* National Provincial Championship
* Bledisloe Cup
* Tri Nations Series
* Ranfurly Shield

occer

* New Zealand National Soccer League
* New Zealand national soccer team
* Chatham Cup

* See Also: 1997 in sports ,

Births

Deaths

* 2 January: Keith Hay, construction company founder, mayor of Mt Roskill, conservative activist
* 10 April: Sir Robert Aitken, physician and university administrator
* 6 July: Frank 'Brun' Smith, cricketer
* 25 July: Matiu Rata, politician [ [http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4158/is_19970728/ai_n14130004 Obituary] ]
* 8 October: Desmond J. Scott, fighter pilot [ [http://www.nzfpm.co.nz/article.asp?id=scott_dj NZ fighter museum] ]

Undated

* Bruce Beetham, politician
* Eva Rickard, Māori leader and activist

References

*

ee also

*List of years in New Zealand
*Timeline of New Zealand history
*History of New Zealand
*Military history of New Zealand
*Timeline of environmental history of New Zealand
*Timeline of New Zealand's links with Antarctica

"For world events and topics in 1997 not specifically related to New Zealand see": 1997