New Zealand in 2008
New Zealand in 2008
Area: 270,692 sq km (104,515 sq mi)
Population (2008 est.): 4,268,000
Capital: Wellington
Chief of state: Queen Elizabeth II, represented by Governor-General Anand Satyanand
Head of government: Prime Ministers Helen Clark and, from November 19, John Key
After nine years in office, the Labour-led government of Prime Minister Helen Clark was defeated in New Zealand’s triennial elections held on Nov. 8, 2008, losing control of the unicameral House of Representatives to an administration led by National Party leader John Key. Polling 44.93% of votes under the MMP (mixed-member proportional) electoral system, National won 58 seats; Labour received 33.99% (43 seats), and the Green Party took 6.72% (9 seats). The Maori and ACT New Zealand parties each won five seats, and United Future took one. The latter three parties reached an accord, including ministerial posts, to support the Key administration, which assumed office on November 19. In conceding Labour’s defeat, Clark and Deputy Prime Minister Michael Cullen also resigned their roles as party leader and deputy leader, respectively, and were replaced in a caucus ballot three days later by Phil Goff and Annette King—previously trade minister and justice minister, respectively.
On the new Parliament’s commencement in early December, Key initiated a 100-day action plan that included tax cuts to begin in April 2009; a line-by-line review of departmental spending; enhancement of the country’s infrastructure; tougher laws to combat violent youth crime, criminal gangs, and the drug trade; a transitional relief package for those individuals worst hit by job losses; and a reassessment of the effects of the global economic crisis. The Clark administration had earlier agreed to underwrite retail and wholesale deposits in New Zealand-registered banks.
New Zealand First party leader Winston Peters was censured by Parliament in a 62–56 vote on September 23 after the Privileges Committee ruled by majority that he had knowingly failed to declare a $NZ 100,000 (about U.S.$70,000) donation to his party in 2005. Clark dismissed Peters as foreign affairs minister, and his party subsequently lost all its seven seats in Parliament.
The May 22 budget projected expenditure for fiscal 2008–09 of $NZ 78.8 billion (about U.S.$62 billion), up 8.7%, and revenue of $NZ 80.1 billion (about U.S.$63.1 billion), up 4%; the 2007–08 surplus was forecast to shrink. The main budget allocations were for social security and welfare, health, education, economic and industrial services, law and order, and defense. A deal was signed on June 30 for the government to repurchase for $NZ 665 million (about U.S.$506 million) the rail network and interisland ferry service that was sold by the former National government to a private consortium in 1993 for $NZ 328.3 million (about U.S.$177.5 million).
In April New Zealand became the first Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development member country to conclude a comprehensive free-trade agreement with China, in a deal calculated to boost New Zealand’s annual exports to China, currently valued at some $NZ 2 billion (about U.S.$1.5 billion), by up to $NZ 400 million (about U.S.$300 million). New Zealand would ultimately concede tariff-free access to China for 96% of its products by 2019. In tandem with the deal were legally binding agreements on labour and the environment. New Zealand also agreed to a closer economic partnership agreement with Japan, made progress on free-trade negotiations with India, and commenced preparatory talks on a free-trade deal with South Korea.
New Zealand lost two historically significant figures early in the year. Explorer Sir Edmund Hillary, who first conquered Mt. Everest in 1953 with Sherpa Tenzing Norgay, died on January 11. Maori poet Hone Tuwhare, who in 1999 became New Zealand’s second poet laureate, died on January 16.
Neale McMillan