Term of the Parliament of New Zealand
The 37th New Zealand Parliament was a term of the New Zealand Parliament . It was elected at the 1972 general election on 25 November of that year.
1972 general election
The 1972 general election was held on Saturday, 25 November.[ 1] A total of 87 MPs were elected; 58 represented North Island electorates, 25 represented South Island electorates, and the remaining four represented Māori electorates ; this was an increase in the number of MPs by three since the 1969 election , and the gain was all for the North Island. 1,583,256 voters were enrolled and the official turnout at the election was 89.1%.[ 1]
Sessions
The 37th Parliament sat for three sessions, and was prorogued on 10 October 1975.
Session
Opened
Adjourned
first
14 February 1973
23 November 1973
second
4 February 1974
8 November 1974
third
25 March 1975
10 October 1975
Ministries
The National Party , which had come to power at the 1960 election , was defeated by the Labour Party at the 1972 election . Norman Kirk formed the third Labour Government and led the Kirk Ministry until his sudden death on 31 August 1974. After Hugh Watt had been acting Prime Minister for the first few days of September 1974, Kirk was succeeded by Bill Rowling on 6 September. The Rowling Ministry lasted until the end of the parliamentary term, when the Labour Government was defeated by National in the 1975 election .
Overview of seats
The table below shows the number of MPs in each party following the 1972 election and at dissolution:
Affiliation
Members
At 1972 election
At dissolution
Labour Government
55
55
National Opposition
32
32
Total
87
87
Working Government majority
23
23
Notes
The Working Government majority is calculated as all Government MPs less all other parties.
Initial composition of the 37th Parliament
The table below shows the results of the 1972 general election:
Key
National
Labour
Social Credit
Independent
Electorate results for the 1972 New Zealand general election
Electorate
Incumbent
Winner
Majority
Runner up
General electorates
Auckland Central
Norman Douglas
2,009
Clive Edwards
Avon
John Mathison
Mary Batchelor
6,055
Gordon Thomas
Awarua
Hugh Templeton
Aubrey Begg
723
Hugh Templeton
Bay of Plenty
Percy Allen
2,189
G B Mead
Birkenhead
Norman King
1,533
Don McKinnon
Christchurch Central
Bruce Barclay
5,103
Barbara Beaven
Clutha
Peter Gordon
2,131
Les McKay
Coromandel
New electorate
Leo Schultz
2,181
Alyson Murphy
Dunedin Central
Brian MacDonell
3,771
Fred O'Neill
Dunedin North
Ethel McMillan
4,020
John Wallis
East Coast Bays
New electorate
Frank Gill
979
Brian Pauling
Eden
John Rae
Mike Moore
788
Mary Kidd
Egmont
Venn Young
2,928
Robert Logan Peck
Franklin
Alfred E. Allen
Bill Birch
4,188
Geoff Braybrooke
Gisborne
Esme Tombleson
Trevor Davey
488
Esme Tombleson
Grey Lynn
Eddie Isbey
5,487
Jens Meder
Hamilton East
New electorate
Rufus Rogers
397
Ross Jansen
Hamilton West
Leslie Munro
Dorothy Jelicich
544
Derek Heather
Hastings
Duncan MacIntyre
Richard Mayson
1,148
Duncan MacIntyre
Hawkes Bay
Richard Harrison
600
David Butcher
Henderson
Martyn Finlay
4,221
Ross C. MacFarlane
Heretaunga
Ron Bailey
2,964
John Schnellenberg[ 12]
Hobson
Logan Sloane
1,148
Howard Manning
Hutt
Trevor Young
3,397
Michael Fowler
Invercargill
John Chewings
J. B. Munro
765
John Chewings
Island Bay
Gerald O'Brien
3,495
Bruce Farland
Kapiti
New electorate
Frank O'Flynn
706
Barry Brill
Karori
Jack Marshall
4,408
Adam Floyd
King Country
New electorate
Jim Bolger
1,240
Brent Clifton Sakey
Lyttelton
Tom McGuigan
3,235
John Blumsky
Manawatu
Les Gandar
Allan McCready
427
Mervyn Hancock
Mangere
Colin Moyle
3,939
Stanley Lawson
Manukau
Roger Douglas
2,844
R O Price
Manurewa
Phil Amos
2,397
Pat Baker
Marlborough
Ian Brooks
1,290
Bruno Dalliessi
Miramar
Bill Young
434
Brian Edwards
Mt Albert
Warren Freer
3,980
John Malcolm
Napier
Gordon Christie
3,725
Merle Bell
Nelson
Stan Whitehead
1,933
Ian McWhannell
New Lynn
Jonathan Hunt
4,312
Gordon McDermott
New Plymouth
Ron Barclay
1,296
Terry Boon
North Shore
George Gair
2,821
Colin Chiles
Oamaru
Allan Dick
Bill Laney
390
Allan Dick
Onehunga
Hugh Watt
4,835
Peter Blakeborough
Otago Central
Murray Rose
Ian Quigley
1,483
Murray Rose
Otahuhu
New electorate
Bob Tizard
6,403
D C Brooker
Pahiatua
Keith Holyoake
4,359
L J Cairns
Pakuranga
Bob Tizard
Gavin Downie
1,802
J B Irwin
Palmerston North
Joe Walding
1,766
Paul William Mitchell
Papanui
Bert Walker
1,734
Mollie Clark
Petone
Fraser Colman
5,340
Nick Ursin
Piako
Jack Luxton
4,472
I L Howell
Porirua
Gerry Wall
4,399
Ross Doughty
Raglan
Douglas Carter
1,350
Allan John Smith
Rakaia
New electorate
Colin McLachlan
2,133
Alex Clark
Rangiora
Lorrie Pickering
Kerry Burke
866
Adrian Hiatt
Rangitikei
Norman Shelton
Roy Jack
3,037
N R Pearce [ nb 1]
Remuera
Allan Highet
6,118
Rex Stanton
Riccarton
Eric Holland
2,164
David Jackson
Rodney
Peter Wilkinson
4,507
Peter Trim
Roskill
Arthur Faulkner
4,439
John Priestley
Rotorua
Harry Lapwood
786
N F Pachoud
Ruahine
New electorate
Les Gandar
552
Sam Mihaere
St Albans
Roger Drayton
3,066
Ron Doak
St Kilda
Bill Fraser
5,615
Charles Kirby
South Canterbury
Rob Talbot
2,035
David Braithwaite
Stratford
David Thomson
3,068
D G Turney
Sydenham
Norman Kirk
6,986
John Burn
Tamaki
Robert Muldoon
4,590
Alan Hedger
Tasman
New electorate
Bill Rowling
1,834
Gerald Hunt
Taupo
Rona Stevenson
Jack Ridley
783
James Frederick Higgins
Tauranga
George Walsh
Keith Allen
2,215
Henry Uttinger
Timaru
Sir Basil Arthur
3,954
Dave Walker
Waikato
Lance Adams-Schneider
4,208
Bob Reese
Wairarapa
Jack Williams
1,086
Ben Couch
Waitemata
Frank Gill
Michael Bassett
2,544
Ray La Varis
Wallace
Brian Talboys
2,904
Ian Lamont
Wanganui
Bill Tolhurst
Russell Marshall
2,879
Bill Tolhurst
Wellington Central
Dan Riddiford
Ken Comber
27
David Shand [ nb 2]
West Coast
New electorate
Paddy Blanchfield
4,242
Barry Dallas
Western Hutt
Henry May
2,392
Julian Watts [ nb 3]
Whangarei
New electorate
Murray Smith
1,180
Lawrence Carr
Wigram
Mick Connelly
5,255
David Cox
Māori electorates
Eastern Maori
Paraone Reweti
6,190
Koro Dewes
Northern Maori
Matiu Rata
5,260
Graham Latimer
Southern Maori
Whetu Tirikatene-Sullivan
8,251
Kate Parahi
Western Maori
Koro Wētere
8,686
R Te A H Rawiri
Table footnotes:
^ Bruce Beetham came third for Social Credit in Rangitikei
^ Shand was first on election night, but lost when special votes were included
^ Julian Watts was a son of Jack Watts
Select committees
For the 37th Parliament, elected from the 1972 general election, there were the following select committees in the House of Representatives, as follows (Ministers of relevant portfolios are in bold ):[ 17]
Select committees in the 37th New Zealand Parliament
Select committee
Portfolios/Jurisdictions
Members
Defence
Military affairs, defence matters, disarmament and arms control
Aubrey Begg
Arthur Faulkner
Richard Harrison
Allan McCready
Ian Quigley
David Thomson
Jack Williams
Education
Education, education review, industry training, research
Phil Amos
Jim Bolger
Ian Brooks
George Gair
Les Gandar
Bill Laney
Russell Marshall
Foreign Affairs
International relations, immigration, overseas trade
Ron Bailey
Roger Drayton
Arthur Faulkner
Frank Gill
Sir Keith Holyoake
Norman Kirk
Harry Lapwood
Allan McCready
Mike Moore
Joe Walding
Peter Wilkinson
House
Ron Bailey
Roger Douglas
Richard Harrison
Jonathan Hunt
Colin McLachlan
J. B. Munro
Bert Walker
Island Affairs
Pacific Islands affairs
Phil Amos
Gavin Downie
Eddie Isbey
Leo Schultz
Gerry Wall
Venn Young
Koro Wētere
Labour
Industrial relations and employment
Norman Douglas
Eric Holland
Eddie Isbey
Dorothy Jelicich
Jack Luxton
Frank O'Flynn
Paraone Reweti
David Thomson
Bill Young
Hugh Watt
Lands and Agriculture
Agriculture, biosecurity, fisheries, forestry, lands, and land information
Bruce Barclay
Aubrey Begg
Jim Bolger
Ian Brooks
Kerry Burke
Douglas Carter
Colin Moyle
Rob Talbot
Jack Williams
Venn Young
Library
Parliamentary library
Lance Adams-Schneider
Keith Allen
Kerry Burke
Norman Douglas
Sir Roy Jack
Ethel McMillan
Stanley Whitehead
Local Bills
Keith Allen
Ron Barclay
Mary Batchelor
Allan Highet
Bill Laney
Colin McLachlan
Ethel McMillan
Henry May
Mike Moore
Gerald O'Brien
Logan Sloane
Māori Affairs
Māori affairs
Percy Allen
Bill Birch
Jack Luxton
Russell Marshall
Allan McCready
Matiu Rata
Paraone Reweti
Whetu Tirikatene-Sullivan
Leo Schultz
Gerry Wall
Koro Wētere
Petitions
Public submissions
Bill Birch
Kerry Burke
Gordon Christie
Ken Comber
Bill Fraser
Richard Mayson
Bert Walker
Privileges
Parliamentary privilege
Martyn Finlay
Norman Kirk
Jack Marshall
Robert Muldoon
Hugh Watt
Public expenditure
Finance, revenue, taxation, audit
Roger Drayton
George Gair
Frank Gill
Peter Gordon
Jonathan Hunt
Brian MacDonell
Robert Muldoon
Jack Ridley
Bill Rowling
Murray Smith
Road safety
Percy Allen
Sir Basil Arthur
Ron Bailey
Ron Barclay
Douglas Carter
Trevor Davey
Les Gandar
Peter Gordon
Richard Mayson
Ian Quigley
Selection
Ron Bailey
Norman Kirk
Jack Marshall
Robert Muldoon
Hugh Watt
Statutes Revision
Michael Bassett
Martyn Finlay
Eric Holland
Sir Roy Jack
J. B. Munro
Frank O'Flynn
Rufus Rogers
Rob Talbot
Peter Wilkinson
Trevor Young
Trade and Industry
Paddy Blanchfield
Ken Comber
Trevor Davey
Warren Freer
Brian MacDonell
Brian Talboys
Bill Young
By-elections during 37th Parliament
There was one by-election held during the term of the 37th Parliament.
Notes
References
Gustafson, Barry (1986). The First 50 Years : A History of the New Zealand National Party . Auckland: Reed Methuen. ISBN 0-474-00177-6 .
Norton, Clifford (1988). New Zealand Parliamentary Election Results 1946-1987: Occasional Publications No 1, Department of Political Science . Wellington: Victoria University of Wellington. ISBN 0-475-11200-8 .
Templeton, Ian; Eunson, Keith (1972). In the Balance: Election '72 . Dunedin: John McIndoe.
Wilson, James Oakley (1985) [First ed. published 1913]. New Zealand Parliamentary Record, 1840–1984 (4th ed.). Wellington: V.R. Ward, Govt. Printer. OCLC 154283103 .