2008 New Zealand general election

2008 New Zealand general election

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All 122 seats in the House of Representatives, including two overhang seats 62 seats 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 3 June 2006 21 May 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 Electorate vote 1,072,024 46.60% 6.22 810,238 35.22% 5.13 129,584 5.63% 1.51 Party vote 1,053,398 44.93% 5.83 796,880 33.99% 7.11 157,613 6.72% 1.42   Fourth party Fifth party Sixth party   Leader Rodney Hide Tariana Turia Pita Sharples Jim Anderton Party ACT Māori Party Progressive Leader since 18 June 2004 7 July 2004 27 July 2002 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 Electorate vote 68,852 2.99% 1.02 76,836 3.34% 0.02 25,981 1.13% 0.51 Party vote 85,496 3.65% 2.14 55,980 2.39% 0.27 21,241 0.91% 0.25   Seventh party Eighth party   Leader Peter Dunne Winston Peters Party United Future New Zealand NZ First Leader since 16 November 2000 18 July 1993 Leader's seat Ōhariu List (lost seat) Last election 3 seats, 2.67% 7 seats, 5.72% Seats before 2 7 Seats won 1 0 Seat change 1 7 Electorate vote 25,955 1.13% 1.71 38,813 1.69% 1.80 Party vote 20,497 0.87% 1.80 95,356 4.07% 1.65
Results by electorate, shaded by winning margin
Prime Minister before election Helen Clark Labour Subsequent Prime Minister 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 liberal-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. This marked the beginning of the Fifth National Government which governed for the next nine years, until the 2017 general election, when a government was formed between the Labour and New Zealand First parties, with support on confidence and supply by the Green Party.

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 electorates – 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.

In his victory speech, John Key announced the readiness of the ACT, Maori Party and United Future parties to co-operate with the National Party to form the next government, the Fifth National Government of New Zealand. In her concession speech, Helen Clark announced her resignation as the parliamentary leader of the Labour Party. She had led the party since 1993, and had served as prime minister since the 1999 election. 2008 saw several important political figures enter Parliament, including future finance minister Grant Robertson, future National Party leader Simon Bridges, and the next two Labour Prime Ministers, Jacinda Ardern and Chris Hipkins. Former Labour minister Roger Douglas, who stepped down in 1990 returned to parliament in this election but as a member for the ACT Party.