Fifth Labour Government of New Zealand

The Fifth Labour Government of New Zealand is the current government of New Zealand. It was sworn into office on the 5 December 1999.

ignificant policies

Economic

* Created Kiwibank as part of coalition agreement with the Alliance.
* Working for Families tax credits
* KiwiSaver retirement savings scheme
* Renationalised Air New Zealand, New Zealand's national rail network (ONTRACK), and later the rolling stock from Toll New Zealand
* Buy Kiwi Made campaign
* Telecommunications industry reform, particularly local loop unbundling

Constitutional

* Established the Supreme Court of New Zealand, replacing appeals to the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council.
* Constitutional Inquiry into the Constitution of New Zealand.
* Passed the Electoral Finance Act to reform electoral spending and regulate electoral advertising.

Treaty of Waitangi

* New Zealand foreshore and seabed controversy; passed the Foreshore and Seabed Act.
* Made further Treaty of Waitangi settlements.

ocial policy

* Introduced income-related rents for state housing.
* Passed the Prostitution Reform Act 2003
* Passed the Property (Relationships) Act: treats de facto relationships the same as after the breakup of legal marriages, unless the individuals in the relationship contract out of the Act;
* Civil Union Act 2004
* Supported the Crimes (Substituted Section 59) Amendment Act 2007, which repealed and replaced section 59 of the Crimes Act 1961, which allowed "reasonable force" in the discipline of children.
* National Statement on Religious Diversity

Health

* Creation of District Health Boards.
* Dissolution of the Health Funding Authority, with its responsibilities given to the Ministry of Health and the District Health Boards.
* Introduction of the "Primary Health Care Strategy", moving primary care funding towards capitation ('bulk funding'), and away from fee-for-service funding.

Environment

* Royal Commission on Genetically Modified Organisms
* Sandra Lee enacted the Local Government Act 2002 (New Zealand).

National identity

* Established fully New Zealand-based honours system.

Foreign affairs

* Signed free trade agreements with Brunei, Chile, Singapore, and Thailand.
* Scrapped the air defence wing of the Royal New Zealand Air Force.
* Sent a detachment of SAS troops to the war in Afghanistan.
* Sent troops to East Timor during the 2006 East Timorese crisis.
* Did not send combat troops to the Iraq War.
* Launched Project Protector, to expand the Royal New Zealand Navy's capacity.
* Signed a free trade agreement with the People's Republic of China, with negotiations in the pipeline with South Korea and Japan.

Appointments

The following positions were appointed by the Queen on the advice of the Government:

Governor-General

* Dame Silvia Cartwright (2001 - 2006)
* Anand Satyanand (2006 - )

upreme Court

With the creation of the Supreme Court of New Zealand in 2003, the government appointed the first full bench of the Court.
* Dame Sian Elias (July 1, 2004)
* Justice Thomas Gault (July 1, 2004)
* Justice Sir Kenneth Keith (July 1, 2004)
* Justice Peter Blanchard (July 1, 2004)
* Justice Andrew Tipping (July 1, 2004)
* Justice John McGrath (May 4 2005)
* Honourable Noel Crossley Anderson (February 21 2006)
* Honourable Justice Bill Wilson (21 December 2007)

Acting judges were also appointed from the retired judges of the Court of Appeal:
* Justice John Henry (New Zealand justice)
* Justice Ted Thomas
* Former President of the Court of Appeal Sir Ivor Richardson
* Former Chief Justice Sir Thomas Eichelbaum.

Court of Appeal

The government has appointed three presidents of the Court of Appeal of New Zealand:
* Hon William Young, DCNZM 23 February 2006-
* Hon Noel Anderson, DCNZM 1 January 2004 - 23 February 2006
* Rt Hon Thomas Gault, DCNZM 24 May 2002 - 31 December 2003

Formation

The Fifth Labour government was elected in at the 1999 general election, winning nearly half the popular vote and more than two-thirds of the electorate seats in parliament.

The 2002 election

The 2005 election

Electoral results

The following table shows the total votes* for Labour, plus parties supporting the Labour-led government. For more details of electoral results, see the relevant election articles.

* 'Votes' means party votes only. 'Seats' means both list and electorate seats.

Notes

* Following the 1999 election, Labour formed a coalition with the Alliance Party, and gained support on matters of confidence and supply from the Greens.
* Following the 2002 election, Labour formed a coalition with the Progressive Party, and gained support on matters of confidence and supply from the Greens, and United Future.
* Following the 2005 election, Labour formed a coalition with the Progressive Party, and gained support on matters of confidence and supply from the New Zealand First Party and United Future. The Greens signed an agreement to abstain on votes of confidence and supply, giving the Labour-led Government a majority. The Maori Party also abstains on confidence and supply votes but has no formal agreement with the Government.

Prime Minister

Helen Clark has been Prime Minister since the government was elected in 1999.

Cabinet Ministers

References

ee also

* Governments of New Zealand
* New Zealand Labour Party