Fourth Labour Government | |
|---|---|
 Ministries of New Zealand | |
| 1984–1990 | |
| Date formed | 26 July 1984 |
| Date dissolved | 2 November 1990 |
| People and organisations | |
| Monarch | Elizabeth II |
| Prime Minister | David Lange (1984–1989) Geoffrey Palmer (1989–1990) Mike Moore (1990) |
| Deputy Prime Minister | Geoffrey Palmer (1984–1989) Helen Clark (1989–1990) |
| Member party | Labour Party |
| Opposition party | National Party |
| Opposition leader |
|
| History | |
| Elections | |
| Predecessor | Third National Government of New Zealand |
| Successor | Fourth National Government of New Zealand |
The Fourth Labour Government of New Zealand governed New Zealand from 26 July 1984 to 2 November 1990 (the period up to 8 August 1989 is also called the Lange Government). It was the first Labour government to win a second consecutive term since the First Labour Government of 1935 to 1949. The policy agenda of the Fourth Labour Government differed significantly from that of previous Labour governments: it enacted major social reforms (such as legalising homosexual relations) and economic reforms (including corporatisation of state services and reform of the tax system).
The economic reforms became known as "Rogernomics", after Finance Minister Roger Douglas. According to one political scientist:
Between 1984 and 1993, New Zealand underwent radical economic reform, moving from what had probably been the most protected, regulated and state-dominated system of any capitalist democracy to an extreme position at the open, competitive, free-market end of the spectrum.[1]
The Labour government also enacted nuclear-free legislation, which led to the United States suspending its treaty obligations to New Zealand under the ANZUS alliance. David Lange led the government for most of its two three-year terms in office. Lange and Douglas had a falling-out that divided the party. The government suffered a defeat at the 1990 general election, but the incoming National government retained most of the reforms.