1972 New Zealand General Election
25 November 1972 · The two-party era · 87 seats, 44 for a majority
The National Party had been in office since the 1960 election, when it had defeated the ruling Labour Party, led by Walter Nash. The Second Labour Government was the shortest-lasting of all New Zealand governments to that day; in contrast, the Second National Government, led for the majority of its tenure by Keith Holyoake, would be re-elected three times.
Held in wartime. This election took place while the country was engaged in Vietnam War (1965–1973). Conflicts →
Prime Minister before
Jack Marshall
National
Prime Minister after
Norman Kirk
Labour
Largest force
Labour
55 of 87 seats
Turnout
88.9%
The result
| Share of the House of Representatives | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Labour | Norman Kirk | 55 | +16 | 677,669 | 48.4% | +4.2 | |
| National | Jack Marshall | 32 | -13 | 581,422 | 41.5% | -3.7 |