NewZeal

NewZeal (formerly known as ONE Party)[1] is a socially conservative political party in New Zealand, currently led by Alfred Ngaro.[2]

For the party founded in 1999, see One New Zealand Party.

NewZeal
LeaderAlfred Ngaro
General SecretaryDollarina O'Sullivan
FoundedSeptember 2019
IdeologySocial conservatism
Colours
  •      
SloganWorking together for the good of the country
MPs in the House of Representatives
0 / 120
Website
https://newzeal.org.nz/

Former co-leader Stephanie Harawira incorporated One Party Limited as a New Zealand limited company in September 2019.[3] The party was renamed to NewZeal in July 2023, and Alfred Ngaro assumed leadership at the same time. The party appointed a new board and refreshed the constitution.[4]

It has contested the 2020 general election, a by-election in 2022, and the 2023 general election, all without success.

Ideology

Current ideology

Under the leadership of Alfred Ngaro the party has stated that it is a party that stands for all New Zealanders.[5]

Past ideology

In 2020, the party stated that God should be above politicians. It envisaged its MPs entering Parliament if elected but being answerable to an Apostolic Council of religious leaders from various faiths and cultural backgrounds.[6] At the time the party generally leaned towards the pentecostal and evangelical wing of Christianity,[7] though founder Stephanie Harawira said, "We didn't come together as Baptists, as Anglicans or Methodists. We came together just as people, who love the Lord."[8] Prophecy has been important to the party; candidates spoke of being given a sign or message that it is their destiny to become politicians,[9] and Harawira stated that God has spoken directly to her.[10]

2020 election

The party launched at Marsden Cross in Rangihoua Bay (site of the first Christian service in New Zealand, in 1814) in June 2020.[11][12] It said that it would run 20 candidates in both general and Māori electorates.[13]

ONE Party became registered with the Electoral Commission in July 2020.[14] It received a broadcasting allocation of $41,457 for the 2020 election.[15]

The party reached an arrangement with Vision NZ, another Christian-based party. ONE Party did not stand a candidate in the Waiariki electorate, where Vision's leader Hannah Tamaki ran. In return, Vision NZ promised to not stand a candidate in Te Tai Tokerau. ONE Party was approached about joining an alliance of parties that included the New Zealand Public Party, led by Billy Te Kahika, who is also a Christian. However, Harawira said that their respective parties' kaupapa do not align.[16] ONE Party encouraged supporters in electorates where it was not running a candidate to abstain from the electorate vote.[16]

At the election, held on 17 October, ONE Party received 8,121 party votes (0.3%) and did not win any electorate seats. This result was not enough to enter Parliament, which would have required 5% of the party vote or one electorate seat.[17]

A 2020 election hoarding for the One Party, with the slogan "Party Vote Kingdom"

2021 leadership change

The party announced a leadership change on 18 October 2021, when founding leaders Stephanie Harawira and Edward Shanly stood down and were replaced with a tripartite leadership of Ian Johnson, Allan Cawood and Kariana Black.[18][19]

2022 by-election

For the 2022 Hamilton West by-election, ONE Party announced that it joined with the New Conservative Party to stand a single candidate: Rudi du Plooy, a New Conservative Party member.[20] Du Plooy came seventh with 118 votes.[21]

2023 election
Working together for the good of the country.
NewZeal Party billboard in 2023 with the slogan "Working Together for the Good of the Country."

In July 2023 the party filed an application to change their name and logo to NewZeal.[22] This became official in August 2023.[23] Both RNZ and the New Zealand Herald described NewZeal as a "new political party" launched by Alfred Ngaro, who left the National Party to form it.[24][25] Ngaro is a former National Party member and member of Parliament from 2011 to 2020. In 2019, rumours spread that Ngaro intended to leave National and form a new Christian party, which at the time he denied.[26] In 2020, he lost his seat in Parliament after a poor result for National generally. Ngaro became disappointed with the National Party's opposition to gay conversion therapy and support for gender identity, and this led to his involvement with NewZeal. Ngaro is Christian but has insisted this didn't make NewZeal a Christian party.[24] The party's current website makes no reference to any religious affiliation and does not contain any reference to its history as the ONE Party.[27]

Across nine polls conducted for 1 News between July 2022 and September 2023, the ONE Party or NewZeal registered between 0% and 0.5% support.[28][29]

Preliminary results for the 2023 election indicate NewZeal received 0.56% of the party vote and did not win any electorate seats, so will not enter parliament.[30]

Election results

House of Representatives
Election Candidates nominated Seats won Votes Vote share % Position MPs in
parliament
Electorate List
2020 28 39 0 8,121 0.3 11
0 / 120
2023 0 12,701 0.56 9
0 / 120

See also

References
  1. "Change to party name and logo". Elections. Retrieved 16 August 2023.
  2. "Alfred Ngaro explains why he turned his back on National Party to launch NewZeal". NZ Herald. 17 August 2023. Retrieved 16 August 2023.
  3. "ONE PARTY LIMITED (7716016) Registered". app.companiesoffice.govt.nz. Retrieved 30 May 2020.
  4. "NewZeal constitution" (PDF).
  5. NewZeal. "A party that stands for all New Zealanders". Retrieved 14 September 2023.
  6. Braae, Alex (18 August 2020). "A revelation in Marton: The Spinoff meets New Zealand's newest Christian party". The Spinoff. The Spinoff. Retrieved 24 January 2021. The party's structure reflects the belief that God should be above politicians. The political wing would provide MPs to parliament if they get elected. But on policy and legislative questions, they would be held to account by an Apostolic Council of religious leaders from various faiths and cultural backgrounds.
  7. Braae, Alex (18 August 2020). "A revelation in Marton: The Spinoff meets New Zealand's newest Christian party". The Spinoff. The Spinoff. Retrieved 24 January 2021. In a cultural sense, the party leans towards the more pentecostal and evangelical end of the spectrum. There's also a strong flavour of charismatic Christianity, with an emphasis on powerful oratory and a belief in the miraculous.
  8. Braae, Alex (18 August 2020). "A revelation in Marton: The Spinoff meets New Zealand's newest Christian party". The Spinoff. The Spinoff. Retrieved 24 January 2021. 'We didn't come together as Baptists, as Anglicans or Methodists. We came together just as people, who love the Lord.'
  9. Braae, Alex (18 August 2020). "A revelation in Marton: The Spinoff meets New Zealand's newest Christian party". The Spinoff. The Spinoff. Retrieved 24 January 2021. The concept of prophecy is deeply important to the politics of those running for the One Party. Candidates don't speak of deciding to become politicians – they say they are given some sort of sign or message that it is their destiny.
  10. Braae, Alex (18 August 2020). "A revelation in Marton: The Spinoff meets New Zealand's newest Christian party". The Spinoff. The Spinoff. Retrieved 24 January 2021. 'And the lord said to me, get your name off it! There will be only one name, and it is the name this government dislikes. And you will go through this nation and lift up one name – Ihu Karaiti, Jesus Christ. [...]'
  11. "Northland news in brief: Christian party launch". The Northern Advocate. 18 June 2020. Archived from the original on 26 June 2020. Retrieved 27 June 2020.
  12. "One Party". Facebook. Retrieved 30 June 2020.
  13. "New political party combines Te Tiriti and the Bible into One". Te Ao - Māori News. 10 August 2020. Archived from the original on 17 August 2020. Retrieved 13 August 2020.
  14. "Registration of ONE Party and logo". New Zealand Electoral Commission. 10 July 2020. Retrieved 10 July 2020.
  15. "2020 Broadcasting Allocation Decision Released". Electoral Commission. 29 May 2020. Retrieved 29 May 2020.
  16. Braae, Alex (18 August 2020). "A revelation in Marton: The Spinoff meets New Zealand's newest Christian party". The Spinoff. Retrieved 18 August 2020.
  17. "2020 General Election and Referendums - Official Result". Electoral Commission.
  18. https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=594541645305277&id=100107878081992
  19. "Our Leaders". Retrieved 27 December 2021.
  20. Franke-Bowell, Jonah (7 November 2022). "One candidate, two parties: Conservative coalition picks Hamilton West contender". Stuff. Retrieved 7 November 2022.
  21. "Hamilton West by-election official results". Elections. Retrieved 26 June 2023.
  22. "Application to change party name and logo". elections.nz. Retrieved 26 July 2023.
  23. "Change to party name and logo". Elections. Retrieved 16 August 2023.
  24. "Alfred Ngaro explains why he turned his back on National Party to launch New Zeal". NZ Herald. 17 August 2023. Retrieved 16 August 2023.
  25. "Political commentators Gareth Hughes and Brigitte Morten". RNZ. 14 August 2023. Retrieved 16 August 2023.
  26. Devlin, Henry Cooke and Collette (28 May 2019). "Alfred Ngaro will stay within National Party". Stuff. Retrieved 16 August 2023.
  27. "NewZeal Party NZ: Alfred Ngaro's Vision for a Thriving New Zealand". NewZeal. Retrieved 16 August 2023.
  28. 1News Verian Poll (17 July 2023). "1 NEWS Verian Poll Report 8-12 July 2023". Scribd. Retrieved 31 July 2023.
  29. "1News Verian poll, September 13". Scribd. 13 September 2023. Retrieved 14 September 2023.
  30. Stuff. "Election 2023: Final results". interactives.stuff.co.nz. Retrieved 15 October 2023.
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