New Zealand National Party

The New Zealand National Party, shortened to National or the Nats, is a centre-right political party in New Zealand. It is one of two major parties that dominate contemporary New Zealand politics, alongside its traditional rival, the Labour Party. National formed in 1936 through amalgamation of conservative and liberal parties, Reform and United respectively, and subsequently became New Zealand's second-oldest extant political party. National's predecessors had previously formed a coalition against the growing labour movement. National has governed for five periods during the 20th and 21st centuries, and has spent more time in government than any other New Zealand party. After the 1949 general election, Sidney Holland became the first prime minister from the National Party, and remained in office until 1957. Keith Holyoake succeeded Holland, and was defeated some months later at a general election by the Labour Party in 1957. Holyoake returned to office for a second period from 1960 to 1972. The party's platform shifted from moderate economic liberalism to increased emphasis on state interventionism during Robert Muldoon's National government from 1975 to 1984. In 1990, Jim Bolger formed another National government, which continued the radical free-market reforms initiated by the preceding Labour government. The party has since advocated free enterprise, reduction of taxes, and limited state regulation. Following the first MMP election in 1996, the National Party governed in a coalition with the populist New Zealand First Party. National Party leader Jenny Shipley became New Zealand's first female prime minister in 1997; her government was defeated by a Labour-led coalition in 1999. The National Party was most recently in government from 2008 to 2017 under John Key and Bill English; it governed with support from the centrist United Future, the classical-liberal ACT Party and the indigenous-rights-based Māori Party. At the 2017 general election the Party gained 44.4 percent of the vote and won 56 seats, making it then the largest caucus at the time in the House of Representatives, but lost this plurality position in the 2020 general election, gaining only 25.58 percent of the vote with 33 seats. National was unable to form a government following the election and remains the Official Opposition.