New Zealand Party
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New Zealand Party
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| Founded | 1983 |
| Dissolved | 1987 |
| Ideology |
Libertarian free enterprise |
| Political position | centre-right |
| Slogan | Freedom and Prosperity |
The New Zealand Party operated as a political party in New Zealand from 1983 to about 1986. Established by millionaire property tycoon Bob Jones, the party promoted both social and economic liberalization. The New Zealand Party's motto was "Freedom and Prosperity". The party has sometimes been classified as libertarian, but that term is not particularly common in New Zealand. It failed to win any seats in Parliament, but it purportedly played a role in causing the defeat of Robert Muldoon's National Party government in the 1984 election by splitting the vote (as a spoiler).
At the time of the New Zealand Party's foundation in 1983, the Prime Minister was Robert Muldoon. Muldoon was a strong believer in the need for state intervention in the economy, claiming that only with government involvement could New Zealand be prosperous. In accordance with his economic theories, Muldoon introduced the so-called "Think Big" program, which saw massive overseas borrowing to finance large government construction projects. Later, as New Zealand's economy declined and its deficit increased, Muldoon introduced wage and price controls.
Bob Jones, a self-made millionaire and author, strongly opposed these policies, comparing them to what he had recently observed in the Soviet bloc. In a number of newspaper opinion pieces, Jones spoke out against the government, claiming that the National Party had betrayed its principles of individual liberty and free enterprise. For example, Jones advocated a flat tax, while the top rate at the time was 66%. Since Jones had previously been a strong supporter of the National Party and a personal friend of Muldoon, his attacks on the government marked an end to both associations.
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