1996 Speaker of the New Zealand House of Representatives election explained

Country:	New Zealand
Type:	presidential
Ongoing:	no
Previous Election:	1923 Speaker of the New Zealand House of Representatives election
Previous Year:	1923
Next Election:	2002 Speaker of the New Zealand House of Representatives election
Next Year:	2002
Election Date:	12 December 1996
Candidate1:	Doug Kidd
Party1:	New Zealand National Party
Popular Vote1:	70
Percentage1:	58.33
Candidate2:	Jonathan Hunt
Party2:	New Zealand Labour Party
Popular Vote2:	50
Percentage2:	41.66
Speaker
Before Election:	Peter Tapsell
Before Party:	New Zealand Labour Party
After Election:	Doug Kidd
After Party:	New Zealand National Party

The 1996 election of the Speaker of the New Zealand House of Representatives occurred on 12 December 1996, following the 1996 general election result. The election saw the incumbent speaker Peter Tapsell lose his parliamentary seat. It resulted in the election of National Party MP Doug Kidd as Speaker. It was the first time a vote for speaker had been contested since 1923.

Nominated candidates

Two candidates were nominated:

Rt Hon Jonathan Hunt, List MP – Labour Party
Hon Doug Kidd, MP for – National Party

Derek Quigley, the deputy leader of the ACT Party, also intended to stand as a candidate but ultimately did not put forward his name for nomination.

Election

The election was conducted by means of a conventional parliamentary motion. The Clerk of the House of Representatives conducted a vote on the question of the election of the Speaker, in accordance with Standing Order 19.

The following table gives the election results:^[1]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
width=5 style="background-color: "		National	Doug Kidd	70	58.33
	Labour	Jonathan Hunt	50	41.66
Majority			20	16.66
Turnout			120

How each MP voted:^[1]


width=10 class=unsortable	width=90	Party	width=150	Name	width=100	Speaker Vote
	Kidd
	Hunt
	Kidd
	Kidd
	Hunt
	Hunt
	Kidd
	Kidd
	Kidd
	Kidd
	Kidd
	Hunt
	Kidd
	Kidd
	Hunt
	Hunt
	Kidd
	Kidd
	Hunt
	Hunt
	Kidd
	Hunt
	Hunt
	Kidd
	Hunt
	Kidd
	Kidd
	Hunt
	Hunt
	Kidd
	Kidd
	Kidd
	Hunt
	Hunt
	Kidd
	Kidd
	Hunt
	Hunt
	Hunt
	Hunt
	Kidd
	Kidd
	Hunt
	Hunt
	Kidd
	Hunt
	Hunt
	Kidd
	Kidd
	Kidd
	Hunt
	Hunt
	Hunt
	Kidd
	Hunt
	Hunt
	Kidd
	Hunt
	Kidd
	Hunt
	Kidd
	Hunt
	Kidd
	Hunt
	Hunt
	Hunt
	Hunt
	Kidd
	Kidd
	Kidd
	Kidd
	Kidd
	Kidd
	Kidd
	Kidd
	Kidd
	Kidd
	Hunt
	Kidd
	Kidd
	Kidd
	Kidd
	Hunt
	Kidd
	Hunt
	Kidd
	Hunt
	Kidd
	Kidd
	Kidd
	Hunt
	Hunt
	Kidd
	Kidd
	Hunt
	Kidd
	Kidd
	Kidd
	Kidd
	Kidd
	Kidd
	Kidd
	Kidd
	Kidd
	Hunt
	Hunt
	Hunt
	Kidd
	Hunt
	Hunt
	Kidd
	Kidd
	Kidd
	Hunt
	Kidd
	Kidd
	Kidd
	Hunt
	Kidd
	Hunt

Ian Revell was elected deputy speaker on 13 December by 61 votes to 58 over Jonathan Hunt. National and New Zealand First voted for Revell with Labour, the Alliance and ACT voting for Hunt.^[2]

Notes and References

Book: Parliamentary Debates . 558 . 1996 . Wellington . 6–7 .
News: Speakers' jobs both National . . 14 December 1996 . 1 .