New Zealand general election, 1954

← 1951

13 November 1954 (1954-11-13)

1957 →

All 80 seats in the House of Representatives
41 seats were needed for a majority

Turnout

1,096,877 (91.4%)

	First party	Second party

Leader	Sidney Holland	Walter Nash
Party	National	Labour
Leader since	1940	1951
Leader's seat	Fendalton	Hutt
Last election	50 seats, 54.0%	30 seats, 45.8%
Seats won	45	35
Seat change	5	5
Popular vote	485,630	484,028
Percentage	44.3%	44.1%
Swing	9.7%	1.7%

Prime Minister before election

Sidney Holland
National

Elected Prime Minister

Sidney Holland
National

The 1954 New Zealand general election was a nationwide vote to determine the shape of the New Zealand Parliament's 31st term. It saw the governing National Party remain in office, but with a slightly reduced majority. It also saw the debut of the new Social Credit Party, which performed well but won no seats.

The National Party had formed its first administration after the 1949 elections. It had then been re-elected by a large margin amid the industrial disputes of the 1951 election. The Prime Minister, Sidney Holland, was popular in many sectors of society for his strong line against striking dockworkers and coalminers, while Labour's leader, Walter Nash, had been criticised for his failure to take a firm stand on the issue. Labour was troubled by internal disputes, with Nash subjected to an unsuccessful leadership challenge only a few months before the election. For the election, the National government adopted a "steady as she goes" approach, saying that the country was in good hands and did not need any major policy realignments.

The date for the main 1954 elections was 13 November. 1,209,670 people were registered to vote, and turnout was 91.4%. The number of seats being contested was 80, a number which had been fixed since 1902.

The following new (or reconstituted) electorates were introduced in 1954: Heretaunga, Manukau, Rotorua, Stratford, Waipa and Waitemata. Two candidates, both called J. W. Stewart, came second; in Auckland Central for National and in Eden for Labour.

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Wikipedia