# 45th New Zealand Parliament

The 45th New Zealand Parliament was a term of the Parliament of New Zealand. Its composition was determined by the 1996 election, and it sat until the 1999 election.
The 45th Parliament was notable in that it was the first to be elected under the new MMP electoral system, a form of proportional representation. It was also notable for the fact that it was the first New Zealand Parliament to have an Asian person, Pansy Wong, elected to it. The difference between the 45th Parliament and its predecessor were considerable — the 44th Parliament had opened with only four seats being held by minor parties, but at the opening of the 45th Parliament, minor parties held thirty-nine seats. Because of the considerably altered balance of power in Parliament, neither of the two major parties could govern alone, and New Zealand First, the largest of the four other parties in Parliament, was put in the position of "kingmaker". In the end, New Zealand First opted for a coalition with the National Party which had governed in the previous Parliament, marking the first coalition government in New Zealand for over half a century. The Labour Party continued in Opposition.
The 45th Parliament consisted of one hundred and twenty representatives. Sixty-five of these representatives were chosen by geographical electorates, including five Māori electorates. The remainder were elected by means of party-list proportional representation under the MMP electoral system.

## Overview of seats

The table below shows the number of MPs in each party following the 1996 election and at dissolution:
| Affiliation | Affiliation | Members | Members |
| Affiliation | Affiliation | At 1996 election | At dissolution |
| | National | 44 | 44 |
| | NZ First | 17 | In opposition |
| | Mauri Pacific | – | 5 |
| | Te Tawharau | – | 1 |
| | Mana Wahine | – | 1 |
| | Independent | – | 1 |
| | ACT | In opposition | 8 |
| | United NZ | In opposition | 1 |
| Government total | Government total | 61 | 61 |
| | Labour | 37 | 37 |
| | Alliance | 13 | 11 |
| | NZ First | In government | 9 |
| | ACT | 8 | With government |
| | United NZ | 1 | With government |
| | Christian Heritage | – | 1 |
| | Independent | – | 1 |
| Opposition total | Opposition total | 59 | 59 |
| Total | Total | 120 | 120 |
| Working Government majority | Working Government majority | 2 | 2 |
Notes
* ^1 New Zealand First initially entered into a coalition with the National Party, which broke down in 1998. Half the party resigned and became independents, while the other half remained with the party and joined the opposition.
* ^2 A collection of small parties were founded and received representation by independent MPs who were formerly with New Zealand First and Alliance. They supported the National Party in government.
* ^3 ACT and United Future extended support to the National Party, giving the government a slim majority in parliament.
* ^4 The Green Party sat in Parliament under the banner of the Alliance Party.
* The Working Government majority is calculated as all Government MPs less all other parties.

## Initial composition of the 45th Parliament

45th New Zealand Parliament – MPs elected to Parliament
List MPs are ordered by allocation as determined by the Chief Electoral Office and the party lists.
| Party | Name | Electorate | Term |
| National | Murray McCully | Albany | Fourth |
| Labour | Jim Sutton | Aoraki | Fourth |
| Labour | Judith Tizard | Auckland Central | Third |
| National | David Carter | Banks Peninsula | Second |
| National | Tony Ryall | Bay of Plenty | Third |
| Labour | Tim Barnett | Christchurch Central | First |
| Labour | Larry Sutherland | Christchurch East | Fourth |
| National | Bill English | Clutha-Southland | Third |
| National | Murray McLean | Coromandel | First |
| Labour | Pete Hodgson | Dunedin North | Third |
| Labour | Michael Cullen | Dunedin South | Sixth |
| National | Christine Fletcher | Epsom | Third |
| National | Tony Steel | Hamilton East | Second |
| National | Bob Simcock | Hamilton West | First |
| National | Warren Kyd | Hunua | Fourth |
| Labour | Trevor Mallard | Hutt South | Fourth |
| National | Gerry Brownlee | Ilam | First |
| Labour | Mark Peck | Invercargill | Second |
| National | Doug Kidd | Kaikōura | Seventh |
| National | John Luxton | Karapiro | Fourth |
| Labour | Janet Mackey | Mahia | Second |
| Labour | Graham Kelly | Mana | Fourth |
| Labour | Taito Phillip Field | Mangere | Second |
| Labour | Ross Robertson | Manukau East | Fourth |
| Labour | George Hawkins | Manurewa | Third |
| National | Belinda Vernon | Maungakiekie | First |
| Labour | Geoff Braybrooke | Napier | Sixth |
| National | Nick Smith | Nelson | Third |
| Labour | Phil Goff | New Lynn | Fifth |
| Labour | Harry Duynhoven | New Plymouth | Third |
| National | Wayne Mapp | North Shore | First |
| National | Ian Revell | Northcote | Third |
| National | John Carter | Northland | Fourth |
| United NZ | Peter Dunne | Ohariu-Belmont | Fifth |
| National | Gavan Herlihy | Otago | First |
| Labour | Judy Keall | Otaki | Fourth |
| Labour | Helen Clark | Owairaka | Sixth |
| National | Maurice Williamson | Pakuranga | Fourth |
| Labour | Steve Maharey | Palmerston North | Third |
| National | Bill Birch | Port Waikato | Ninth |
| National | Jenny Shipley | Rakaia | Fourth |
| National | Denis Marshall | Rangitikei | Fifth |
| Labour | Paul Swain | Rimutaka | Third |
| National | Lockwood Smith | Rodney | Fifth |
| Labour | Annette King | Rongotai | Fourth |
| National | Max Bradford | Rotorua | Third |
| National | Clem Simich | Tamaki | Third |
| National | Jim Bolger | Taranaki-King Country | Ninth |
| Labour | Mark Burton | Taupo | Second |
| NZ First | Winston Peters | Tauranga | Sixth |
| Labour | Rick Barker | Tukituki | Second |
| Labour | Mike Moore | Waimakariri | Eighth |
| National | Brian Neeson | Waipareira | Third |
| National | Wyatt Creech | Wairarapa | Fourth |
| National | Marie Hasler | Waitakere | Second |
| ACT | Richard Prebble | Wellington Central | Seventh |
| Labour | Damien O'Connor | West Coast-Tasman | Second |
| Labour | Jill Pettis | Whanganui | Second |
| National | John Banks | Whangarei | Sixth |
| Alliance | Jim Anderton | Wigram | Fifth |
| NZ First | Rana Waitai | X-01 Te Puku O Te Whenua | First |
| NZ First | Tuku Morgan | X-02 Te Tai Hauāuru | First |
| NZ First | Tuariki Delamere | X-03 Te Tai Rawhiti | First |
| NZ First | Tau Henare | X-05Te Tai Tokerau | Second |
| NZ First | Tu Wyllie | X-06 Te Tai Tonga | First |
| Alliance | Sandra Lee | Y-008 Party list, rank 02 | Second |
| ACT | Derek Quigley | Y-010 Party list, rank 02 | Fourth |
| Alliance | Jeanette Fitzsimons | Y-008 Party list, rank 03 | First |
| Alliance | John Wright | Y-008 Party list, rank 04 | First |
| ACT | Ken Shirley | Y-010 Party list, rank 03 | Third |
| Alliance | Frank Grover | Y-008 Party list, rank 05 | First |
| NZ First | Ann Batten | Y-026 Party list, rank 03 | First |
| Alliance | Pam Corkery | Y-008 Party list, rank 06 | First |
| NZ First | Peter McCardle | Y-026 Party list, rank 04 | Third |
| ACT | Donna Awatere Huata | Y-010 Party list, rank 04 | First |
| NZ First | Jenny Bloxham | Y-026 Party list, rank 05 | First |
| Alliance | Matt Robson | Y-008 Party list, rank 07 | First |
| NZ First | Brian Donnelly | Y-044 Party list, rank 06 | First |
| ACT | Patricia Schnauer | Y-010 Party list, rank 05 | First |
| Alliance | Laila Harré | Y-008 Party list, rank 08 | First |
| NZ First | Jack Elder | Y-044 Party list, rank 07 | Fifth |
| Alliance | Phillida Bunkle | Y-008 Party list, rank 08 | First |
| NZ First | Doug Woolerton | Y-078 Party list, rank 08 | First |
| National | Don McKinnon | Y-080 Party list, rank 02 | Seventh |
| ACT | Owen Jennings | Y-010 Party list, rank 06 | First |
| National | Paul East | Y-080 Party list, rank 05 | Seventh |
| NZ First | Deborah Morris | Y-078 Party list, rank 09 | First |
| Labour | Dover Samuels | Y-081 Party list, rank 03 | First |
| Alliance | Rod Donald | Y-029 Party list, rank 10 | First |
| National | Doug Graham | Y-080 Party list, rank 06 | Fifth |
| Labour | Lianne Dalziel | Y-081 Party list, rank 04 | Third |
| National | Georgina te Heuheu | Y-094 Party list, rank 07 | First |
| Labour | Mark Gosche | Y-081 Party list, rank 05 | First |
| NZ First | Ron Mark | Y-061 Party list, rank 11 | First |
| National | Katherine O'Regan | Y-094 Party list, rank 10 | Fifth |
| Alliance | Grant Gillon | Y-029 Party list, rank 11 | First |
| Labour | Jonathan Hunt | Y-079 Party list, rank 07 | Eleventh |
| National | Simon Upton | Y-094 Party list, rank 11 | Sixth |
| ACT | Rodney Hide | Y-010 Party list, rank 07 | First |
| National | Joy McLauchlan | Y-094 Party list, rank 13 | Third |
| Labour | Nanaia Mahuta | Y-079 Party list, rank 08 | First |
| NZ First | Neil Kirton | Y-061 Party list, rank 13 | First |
| National | Roger Sowry | Y-094 Party list, rank 15 | Third |
| Labour | Jill White | Y-079 Party list, rank 09 | Second |
| National | Jim Gerard | Y-094 Party list, rank 17 | Fifth |
| Alliance | Alamein Kopu | Y-029 Party list, rank 12 | First |
| Labour | Marian Hobbs | Y-079 Party list, rank 12 | First |
| NZ First | Peter Brown | Y-026 Party list, rank 13 | First |
| National | Arthur Anae | Y-094 Party list, rank 19 | First |
| Labour | Joe Hawke | Y-079 Party list, rank 15 | First |
| National | Eric Roy | Y-094 Party list, rank 23 | Second |
| Labour | Dianne Yates | Y-098 Party list, rank 16 | Second |
| National | Peter Gresham | Y-094 Party list, rank 24 | Third |
| ACT | Muriel Newman | Y-010 Party list, rank 08 | First |
| NZ First | Robyn McDonald | Y-026 Party list, rank 14 | First |
| Alliance | Liz Gordon | Y-029 Party list, rank 13 | First |
| National | Roger Maxwell | Y-094 Party list, rank 25 | Fifth |
| Labour | Ruth Dyson | Y-098 Party list, rank 19 | Second |
| National | Pansy Wong | Y-097 Party list, rank 26 | First |
| Labour | Tariana Turia | Y-098 Party list, rank 20 | First |

## By-elections during 45th Parliament

There was one by-election held during the term of the 45th Parliament.
| Electorate and by-election | Electorate and by-election | Date | Incumbent | Incumbent | Cause | Winner | Winner |
| Taranaki-King Country | 1998 | 2 May | | Jim Bolger | Resignation; appointed ambassador to Washington | | Shane Ardern |

### Summary of changes during term

* Jim Gerard, a National Party list MP, resigned from Parliament in April 1997 to take up a post as High Commissioner in Ottawa. He was replaced by Annabel Young, the next candidate on National's list.
* Alamein Kopu, an Alliance list MP, resigned from her party in July 1997. She eventually formed her own party, Mana Wahine Te Ira Tangata.
* Jim Bolger, having been replaced as Prime Minister by Jenny Shipley in 1997, left Parliament in 1998. This caused a by-election in his Taranaki-King Country seat, won by Shane Ardern of the National Party.
* Neil Kirton, a New Zealand First list MP, resigned from his party in July 1998 after ongoing conflict with its leadership. Kirton opposed his party's coalition with the National Party, and believed that the National Party was too dominant in the agreement. Kirton became an independent.
* After the collapse of the coalition between the National Party and New Zealand First, the junior partner, New Zealand First, splintered. Eight MPs (Jenny Bloxham, Peter Brown, Brian Donnelly, Ron Mark, Robyn McDonald, Winston Peters, Doug Woolerton, and Tu Wyllie) remained with the party, and eight MPs (Ann Batten, Tuariki Delamere, Jack Elder, Tau Henare, Peter McCardle, Tuku Morgan, Deborah Morris, and Rana Waitai) resigned and become independents. The MPs who resigned did not remain united, and eventually split four ways.
** Batten, Elder, Henare, Morgan, and Waitai established the Mauri Pacific party.
** Delamere joined the Te Tawharau party.
** Morris resigned from Parliament. She was replaced by Gilbert Myles, the next candidate on her former party's list. Myles remained attached to New Zealand First.
** McCardle remained an independent.
* Jill White, a Labour Party list MP, resigned from Parliament in 1998 to become Mayor of Palmerston North. She was replaced by Helen Duncan, the next candidate on Labour's list.
* Paul East, a National Party list MP, resigned from Parliament in 1999 to take up a post as High Commissioner in London. He was replaced by Alec Neill, the next candidate on National's list.
* Frank Grover, an Alliance list MP, resigned from his party on 11 June 1999. He joined the Christian Heritage Party.