2008 New Zealand general election

New Zealand general election, 2008

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All 120 seats (plus 2 overhang seats) in the New Zealand House of Representatives 61 seats were needed for a majority
Opinion polls
Turnout	2,376,480 (79.46%) 1.46%
First party Second party Third party   Leader John Key Helen Clark Russel Norman / Jeanette Fitzsimons Party National Labour Green Leader since 27 November 2006 1 December 1993 2006 / 1995 Leader's seat Helensville Mount Albert (List) / (List) Last election 48 seats, 39.10% 50 seats, 41.10% 6 seats, 5.30% Seats before 48 49 6 Seats won 58 43 9 Seat change 10 6 3 Popular vote 1,053,398 796,880 157,613 Percentage 44.93% 33.99% 6.72% Swing 5.83% 7.11% 1.42%   Fourth party Fifth party Sixth party   Leader Rodney Hide Tariana Turia / Pita Sharples Jim Anderton Party ACT Māori Progressive Leader since 2004 2004 2002 (party foundation) Leader's seat Epsom Te Tai Hauāuru / Tāmaki Makaurau Wigram Last election 2 seats, 1.51% 4 seats, 2.12% 1 seat, 1.16% Seats before 2 4 1 Seats won 5 5 1 Seat change 3 1 0 Popular vote 85,496 55,980 21,241 Percentage 3.65% 2.39% 0.91% Swing 2.14% 0.27% 0.25%   Seventh party Eighth party   Leader Peter Dunne Winston Peters Party United Future NZ First Leader since 2002 1993 Leader's seat Ōhariu (List) Last election 3 seats, 2.67% 7 seats, 5.72% Seats before 2 7 Seats won 1 0 Seat change 1 7 Popular vote 20,497 95,356 Percentage 0.87% 4.07% Swing 1.80% 1.65%
Prime Minister before election Helen Clark Labour Subsequent Prime Minister John Key National

Helen Clark
Labour

John Key
National

The 2008 New Zealand general election was held on 8 November 2008 to determine the composition of the 49th New Zealand parliament. The conservative National Party, headed by its Parliamentary leader John Key, won the largest share of votes and seats, ending nine years of government by the social democratic Labour Party, led by Helen Clark. Key announced a week later that he would lead a National minority government with confidence-and-supply support from the ACT, United Future and Māori parties. The Governor-General swore Key in as New Zealand's 38th Prime Minister on 19 November 2008.

The Green Party became the third-largest party in Parliament, with nine seats. The ACT Party came joint-fourth (in terms of seats), increasing their number of seats from two to five, and reversing some of their losses from the 2005 election. The Māori Party also won five seats – out of the seven Māori seats – creating an overhang of two seats. The New Zealand First party, which had seven MPs in the previous parliament, failed to win any electorates or pass the 5 per cent MMP threshold, and therefore won no seats in the new parliament.

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Wikipedia