New Zealand Democratic Party for Social Credit

This article is about the modern party that advocates social credit theory. For the pro-business party founded in 1934, see New Zealand Democrat Party (1934).

New Zealand Democratic Party for Social Credit
200px
President	John Pemberton
Party Leader	Stephnie de Ruyter
Deputy Party Leader	Chris Leitch
Slogan	"Here For Good"
Founded	1985 (1985)
Preceded by	Social Credit Party
Headquarters	P.O. Box 5164 Waikiwi Invercargill
Ideology	Social Credit, Economic democracy, Left-wing nationalism
Political position	Left-wing
Colours	Green
House of Representatives	0 / 121
Local government in New Zealand	0 / 1,895
Website
www.democrats.org.nz

The New Zealand Democratic Party for Social Credit (formerly the New Zealand Democratic Party, New Zealand Social Credit Party and New Zealand Social Credit Political League) is a small leftist political party in New Zealand. Its policies are based on the ideas of social credit.

The party does not hold any seats in the Parliament of New Zealand. It held one seat from 1966 to 1969. The party won a seat in a 1978 byelection, and held two seats from 1980 to 1987. Democratic Party members also held seats when the party was part of the Alliance.

The party has been known as the Social Credit Party, and Social Credit Political League and was for many years the largest minor party in New Zealand politics, and gained 21% of the total votes in 1981. The party's economic policy is still based on Social Credit theories, while in social matters, the party takes a position similar to progressive liberal parties elsewhere.

Policies

The Democratic Party describes its foremost goal as being the recovery of "economic sovereignty". This will be accomplished, the party says, by "the reform of the present monetary system, which is the major cause of war, poverty, inflation and many other social problems." The reforms promoted by the Democratic Party are based on the ideas of Social Credit. The party emphasises "economic democracy", claiming that control of New Zealand's money supply must be reclaimed from the banks.

The Democratic Party supports taxation reform, including the removal of the Goods and Services Tax (GST), and the imposition of a tax on financial transactions (a Tobin tax). It also supports the introduction of a Universal basic income (see external link below).

The Democratic Party states that "what is physically possible and desirable for the happiness of humanity can always be financially possible."

History

Origins (1954–1990)

Main article: Social Credit Party (New Zealand)

The New Zealand Democratic Party was established as the Social Credit Political League, and contested its first election in 1954 where it gained 11.13% of the vote. In 1982 party leader Bruce Beetham, who held the Rangitikei seat from 1978 till 1984 argued for a simpler name, and it became the Social Credit Party.

File:NewZealandDemocraticPartyLogo.png

The party renamed itself the New Zealand Democratic Party in 1985. At the time it held two seats in parliament - one was East Coast Bays, held by Garry Knapp, and the other was Pakuranga, held by Neil Morrison. Two years after the new name was adopted, in the 1987 elections, the Democrats lost these two seats, removing them from parliament. In 1988, Gary Knapp and a group of other Democrats were involved in a protest at parliament, to highlight the Labour Government's about-face on its election promise to hold a referendum on the First Past the Post electoral system.

The Alliance (1990–2002)

See also: Alliance (New Zealand political party)

The Democrats, finding themselves increasingly pressured by the growth of NewLabour (founded by rebel Labour Party MP Jim Anderton) and the Greens, decided to increase cooperation with compatible parties. This resulted in the Democrats joining NewLabour, the Greens, and Māori-based party Mana Motuhake in forming the Alliance, a broad left-wing coalition group.

In the 1996 election, which was conducted under the new Mixed member proportional representation (MMP) electoral system, the Alliance won thirteen seats. Among the MPs elected were John Wright and Grant Gillon, both members of the Democratic Party.

However, there was considerable dissatisfaction in the Democratic Party over the Alliance's course. Many Democrats believed that their views were not being incorporated into Alliance policy, particularly as regards the core economic doctrine of Social Credit. The Alliance tended towards "orthodox" left-wing economics, and was not prepared to implement the Democratic Party's somewhat unusual economic theories.

By the 1999 election, the Democrats were one of only two remaining parties in the Alliance: the Greens had left the grouping, and the Liberals and NewLabour components dissolved, their members becoming members of the Alliance as a whole rather than of any specific constituent party.

Progressive Coalition & independent again (2002 – present)

In 2002, when tensions between the "moderate left" and the "hard left" caused a split in the Alliance, the Democrats followed Jim Anderton's moderate faction and became a part of the Progressive Coalition. In the 2002 elections, Grant Gillon and John Wright were placed third and fourth on the party's list. The Progressives, however, won only enough votes for two seats, thus leaving the two Democrats outside parliament.

Shortly after the election, the Democrats split from the Progressives, re-establishing themselves as an independent party. However, Grant Gillon (the party's leader) and John Wright, both of whom opposed the split, chose not to follow the Democrats, instead remaining with the Progressives. The Progressive Coalition became the Progressive Party after the Democrats left. The Democrats chose Stephnie de Ruyter, who had been fifth on the Progressive list, as their new leader.

In 2005, the party added "for Social Credit" to its name. The Democrats contested that year's general election as an independent party and received 0.05% of the party vote. In the 2008 general election, the party again won 0.05% of the party vote.

The party did not apply for broadcasting funding for the 2011 election. During the election, it won 1,432 votes, and was the only party to not attract a party vote in an electorate (Mangere). The party fielded thirty electorate candidates and four list only candidates in the 2014 general election but continued to fail to gain any seats in the 51st New Zealand Parliament.

Electoral results

House of Representatives
Election	candidates nominated (electorate/list)	seats won	number of votes	% of popular vote
1987	97 / 0	0 / 120	105,091	5.7%
1990	91 / 0	0 / 120	30,455	1.67%
1993 - 1999	Part of the Alliance
2002	Part of the Progressive Coalition
2005	5 / 29	0 / 120	1,079	0.05%
2008	14 / 31	0 / 120	1,208	0.05%
2011	14 / 24	0 / 120	1,432	0.07%
2014	30 / 35	0 / 121	1,730	0.07%

List of presidents

The following is a list of party presidents:

President	Term
Stefan Lipa	1979–1987
Chris Leitch	1988–1993
Margaret Cook	1993-1999
Peter Kane	1999-2003
John Pemberton	2003-2005
Neville Aitchison	2005-2010
David Wilson	2010-2013
John Pemberton	current

List of Parliamentary Party Leaders

The following is a list of Parliamentary Party Leaders:

Leader	Term
Bruce Beetham	1985–1986
Neil Morrison	1986–1988
Garry Knapp	1988–1991
John Wright	1991-2001
Grant Gillon	2001–2002
Stephnie de Ruyter	2002-Current

Former Parliamentarians

The following is a list of Former Parliamentarians:

Former Parliamentarian	Term
Garry Knapp	1985–1987
Neil Morrison	1985–1987
Grant Gillon	1996–2002
John Wright	1996–2002

See also

• New Zealand portal

External links

• Official web site
• Universal Basic Income description, by Keith Rankin