Pages tagged with: politics

Pivotal political and constitutional events with links for further information

September is a memorable month for women in politics: 76 years ago, on 13 September 1933, our first woman MP was elected; four decades earlier, on 19 September 1893, New Zealand became the first country in the world to grant all women the right to vote in parliamentary elections.

A history of the movement that gave New Zealand women the vote in 1893

From 1853 until 1993 (apart from 1908–13) New Zealand elections were held under the first past the post (FPP) or plurality system.

Women's suffrage milestones from 1869 to 1999

Summary of what NZ was like in the 1960s, including our population, economy, popular culture, sporting achievements and technology

Three years after winning the vote in 1893, a convention of representatives from 11 women's groups from throughout New Zealand resolved itself into the National Council of Women.

A list of New Zealand Premiers and Prime Ministers from 1856 to the present

Although only 55% of electors took part in a referendum, an overwhelming 85% voted to change their electoral system. In the second part of the poll, 70% favoured mixed member proportional representation (MMP). As Labour leader Mike Moore put it: 'The people didn't speak on Saturday. They screamed.'

The three years following the 1993 referendum, before the first MMP election in 1996, were ones of transition and uncertainty.