At the beginning of 2005, the news was dominated by the recent "Boxing Day Tsunami". New Zealanders gave time and $25 million (money and goods) for relief in the areas affected.
The Foreshore and seabed legislation came into effect and was criticised by a UN committee.
The general election was the first contested by the Māori Party and Destiny New Zealand. It resulted in the continuation of the Fifth Labour Government of New Zealand.
Incumbents
Regal and Vice Regal
Government
The 47th New Zealand Parliament continued. Government was a coalition between Labour and the Progressives, with United Future supporting supply votes. At the 17 September election, the government arrangements changed considerably. The Labour-Progressive government is now supported by New Zealand First and United Future, both with their leader as a minister outside Cabinet.
Non-Labour Ministers Jim Anderton (Progressives) (within Cabinet)
Opposition Leaders
Main centre leaders
Events
January
February
- 22 February: Social Development minister Steve Maharey announces that seven benefits will be merged into one, with supplements available for accommodation, disability, and childcare. The benefits replaced include unemployment, sickness, disability, and the domestic purposes benefit. The new benefit will apply from 2007 but trial areas will pilot the scheme from May 2005.
March
April
- 4 April: Government member of parliament John Tamihere is involved in a major scandal after speaking candidly and scathingly about his fellow Labour MPs to a reporter (an interview which Tamihere claims was off-the-record). Further details of comments made at the interview were released a week later.
- 12 April: John Tamihere is censured by the Labour Party caucus for his earlier comments, but was not asked to resign from the party.
- 12 April: Northland farmer Paul McIntyre is acquitted of charges of careless use of a firearm. He shot at the vehicle of three thieves who were fleeing after attempting to steal his farmbike in 2002, injuring one of them. An earlier jury found him not guilty of reckless behaviour but could not agree on this charge.
- 26 April: The Civil Unions and Relationships Acts come into force. These Acts allow same-sex and de facto couples to form legal unions similar to marriage.
May
June
- 2 June New Zealand electricity supplier Meridian Energy announces plans to build one of the world's largest wind farms at Makara, west of Wellington. The farm is planned to have 70 turbines, each over 100 metres high, and to generate 210 MW, which would be sufficient to power the whole of Wellington, Porirua, and Lower Hutt. (NZ Herald)
- 8 June The Sale of Liquor (Youth Alcohol Harm Reduction) Bill, which seeks to raise the minimum alcohol drinking age to 20, passes its first reading in New Zealand. The minimum age was lowered to 18 in 1999, but teenage alcohol-related problems have increased since then. The next vote on the bill will be after the general election later this year. (NZ Herald)
- 10 June New Zealand MP Sue Bradford introduces a private member's bill to outlaw the smacking of children. The present law requires that physical discipline of a child use no more than "reasonable force". As a private member's bill, this will be a conscience vote. (NZ Herald)
- 14 June The New Zealand High Commissioner to Canada, Graham Kelly, apologises to all New Zealanders for remarks he made to a Canadian Senate committee in April. Kelly insulted Māori, Pacific Islanders and Asian immigrants to New Zealand in an attempt at humour. (NZ Herald)
- 18 June Brian Tamaki, leader of the Destiny Church, was ordained as a bishop on the church's seventh birthday.
- 20 June Two fibre-optic cables failed in the southern North Island of New Zealand, cutting Telecom New Zealand's cellular and internet services, disrupting EFTPOS transactions, and closing the New Zealand Stock Exchange for five hours.
- 30 June Prince William arrives in New Zealand for an 11-day tour. This was his second trip to New Zealand; he was nine months old on his first visit. During the visit he follows the Lion's tour and has several official engagements (NZ Herald) (NZ Herald)
- 22 June 500 residents of the town of Takaka in the northern South Island are evacuated after a major fire at the town's dairy factory.
- 24 June The New Zealand cricket team announces that it will tour Zimbabwe in August, despite calls for a boycott due to Operation Murambatsvina. The New Zealand government will not stop the tour going to Zimbabwe, but says a return tour by the Zimbabwe team will not be welcome.
- 26 June The Israeli Foreign Minister, Silvan Shalom, apologises to New Zealand for the actions of two Israeli citizens, believed to be Mossad agents, who attempted to gain New Zealand passports under false pretences in 2004. The apology allows diplomatic relations between the two countries to return to normal.
- June and July: The British and Irish Lions rugby tour of New Zealand. The tourists lost all three test matches to the All Blacks, but won all their other games except the one against New Zealand Māori.
July
August
September
- September 3: The New Zealand team wins four gold medals in the five events they entered in the World Rowing Championships in Gifu, Japan. (TVNZ)
- September 3: The All Blacks defeat Australia's Wallabies 34-24 in the final match of the 2005 Tri Nations Series, and win the title for the sixth time. (SMH)
- September 4: The ACT party kicks off its election campaign with Rodney Hide claiming that the only way National can form a government is with its help. (TVNZ)
- September 8: Don Brash, leader of the New Zealand National Party, admits that he knew about anonymous pamphlets distributed by members of the Exclusive Brethren attacking the Labour and Green Parties. (NZ Herald)
- September 10: New Zealand sold the Skyhawk ground attack and Aermacchi trainer aircraft to an unnamed American company. The planes were put into storage after the disbanding of the Air Force combat wing in 2001. (TVNZ)
- September 14: The Ombudsman forces Treasury to release details of alternative costings for the Labour Party's proposed interest-free student loan scheme. Treasury estimated the scheme would cost $390 million in its third year, but Labour's estimates put the cost at $300 million at that point. (NZ Herald)
- September 14: Winston Peters reveals old sexual harassment allegations against his National Party rival in Tauranga, Bob Clarkson. Clarkson claims the allegations were the result of a misunderstanding, but talks about his crotch to a female reporter. (Stuff)
- September 15: The centre of Tauranga is shut down for 13 hours after a man threatens to blow himself up with a bomb in a hotel. The man, who was upset that he could not get a visa to stay in New Zealand, was arrested just after midnight. The bomb was fake. (Stuff)
- September 17: A light plane, stolen from Ardmore Airport in Auckland, crashes in the Waitemata Harbour near St Heliers, after the pilot threatens to crash into the Sky Tower. (TVNZ) (NZ Herald)
- September 17: General election: election night figures give Labour 50 seats, National 49, New Zealand First 7, Greens 6, Māori Party 4 (all electorate seats, an overhang of 2 because party vote earned them only 2), United Future 3, ACT 2, Progressives 1. National leader Don Brash refuses to concede defeat because there are over 200,000 special votes to be counted. (Elections New Zealand)
- September 20: Helen Clark orders an inquiry into Associate Justice Minister Taito Phillip Field's assistance to a Thai overstayer's work permit application. The Thai man retiled the roof of Field's house in Samoa. (NZ Herald)
- September 24: A flotilla of 100 boats meets the Interisland ferry Challenger (Kaitaki) protesting the speed it travels through the Marlborough Sounds. Protesters claim the ferry's wake damages the shoreline. (Stuff) (TVNZ)
- September 25: Green MP Keith Locke walks down Broadway wearing only socks, shoes, a G-string, and body paint, to fulfill a promise he rashly made during the election campaign. (NZ Herald)
- September 30: Donna Awatere Huata, a former ACT Member of Parliament, is sentenced to two years nine months in jail for stealing from a Māori trust for disadvantaged children. Her husband is sentenced to two years. (NZ Herald)
October
- 1 October: General election special votes are counted and announced: National drops to 48 seats, others unchanged (as the Māori Party vote share raised its quota to 3, thus overhang of 1). Helen Clark confident she can form a government within 2 weeks. (NZ election results)
- October 4: Three existing Cabinet Ministers, George Hawkins, Paul Swain and Marian Hobbs, announce they will not be seeking new Cabinet posts once a new government is formed. (NZ Herald)
- October 5: Television New Zealand announces it will not renew the NZ$800,000 contract of its newsreader, Judy Bailey, who has presented ONE News for 18 years and has been called "The Mother of the Nation". (NZ Herald)
- October 6: A New Zealand District Court rules that HIV-positive people need not tell sexual partners about their status so long as safe sex is practiced. (NZ Herald) (Stuff)
- October 14: Divers from New Zealand's National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research (NIWA) examine the port of Picton for signs of sea squirts, an invasive species which could wreck the mussel farming industry. Sea squirts have also been found at Auckland and Lyttelton. (NZ Herald)
- October 15: The Kiwis inflict a surprise defeat on the Australian Kangaroos in the Tri Nations rugby league tournament, defeating Australia in Sydney for the first time since 1959. (ABC News) (NZ Herald)
- October 17: Helen Clark announces the formation of a Labour-led Government. The Progressive Party is in coalition. New Zealand First and United Future support the government and are each given ministerial positions outside Cabinet. (NZ Herald)
- October 19: Helen Clark announces the New Zealand Cabinet members. Deputy Prime Minister Michael Cullen retains Finance and takes Tertiary Education. Jim Anderton is now the third ranked minister, responsible for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry. Annette King takes Police. (NZ Herald)
- October 19: Transparency International ranks New Zealand second equal on its list of least corrupt countries in the world. Australia ranks ninth. (Transparency International)
- October 30: Ian Fraser resigns as CEO of Television New Zealand after the board of directors insists he become involved in negotiations over salaries of top news presenters. (NZ Herald)
November
- November 4: An iconic statue, Pania of the reef, stolen from Napier on 27 October, is recovered and two people are charged with the theft. (NZ Herald)
- November 6: Rod Donald, co-leader of the Green Party, dies overnight. (Radio New Zealand)
- November 14: A researcher for the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination requests permission to visit New Zealand to determine whether the foreshore and seabed law breaches Māori rights. (NZ Herald)
- November 16: Nandor Tanczos is sworn in to replace Rod Donald in Parliament.
- November 18: New Zealand is to host the 2011 Rugby Union World Cup after unexpectedly beating bids by South Africa and Japan. (NZ Herald)
- November 19: Sky Television purchases Prime Television for $30 million. Sky will use Prime to advertise its pay content and to show delayed broadcasts of sports events. (NZ Herald)
- November 20: New Zealand's last resident World War I veteran, Bob Rudd, dies aged 104 on the West Coast. Rudd lied about his age to join the British Army and immigrated to New Zealand after the war. (NZ Herald)
- November 27:The All Blacks complete a Grand Slam by defeating England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales in a single tour. The last grand slam was by Australia in 1984. (Mail & Guardian)
- November 27: Employees at Starbucks and KFC in New Zealand take or plan to take strike action to improve wages, which are currently at or near the legal minimum wage. Both franchises are owned in New Zealand by Restaurant Brands. (NZ Herald) (NZ Herald)
December
- 8 December: One year after the Smokefree Environments Amendment Act was passed, the Asthma and Respiratory Foundation releases a report showing that there has been no reduction in the number of bar patrons or bar takings. There has been an increase in the number of non-smokers at bars and cafes. Rural pubs may have suffered a loss of patronage. (NZ Herald) (Stuff).
- December 9: To control the spread of the Didymo algae, the whole of the South Island is declared a controlled area. All items, such as boats, fishing gear, clothing, and vehicles, that have been in a stream, river or lake, must be cleaned before they enter another waterway. (NZ Herald)
- December 14: King Kong, Peter Jackson's remake of the classic movie about a giant ape, premiers in Wellington. King Kong was filmed in New Zealand. (NZ Herald)
- December 15: The first successful prosecution under the Smokefree Environments Amendment Act at the Timaru District Court. The defendant, Geoff Mulvihill, received a NZ$9,000 fine (and $6000 in costs).
- December 15: Bob Clarkson keeps his electorate seat, after the High Court rejects Winston Peters' petition alleging he had spent more on campaigning for the seat of Tauranga than is allowed under the Electoral Act. The Act prescribes a campaign spending limit of $20,000 per local candidate. Peters' petition alleged that Clarkson had spent more than $100,000. The High Court found that he had spent only $18,159. (NZ Herald)
- December 19: Air New Zealand makes 110 staff redundant in Auckland as it prepares to outsource most of its heavy maintenance. A further 507 staff will find out the status of their jobs in February 2006. (NZ Herald)
- December 21: The Government abandons the proposed carbon tax after the New Zealand First and United Future parties opposed it. The Government says the tax would not be effective at lowering emissions. The tax was supposed to help New Zealand meet its obligations under the Kyoto Protocol. (NZ Herald)
- December 21: The minimum wage will increase from NZ$9.50 to $10.25 per hour for adults, and from $7.60 to $8.20 for under-18 year olds. The increases take effect on March 27, 2006. (NZ Herald)
- December 27: The Treaty House at Waitangi is superficially damaged when a man drives a car into it. The Treaty of Waitangi was signed in the grounds of this house, and it has been the focus of protests over recent decades. (Stuff)
Arts and literature
New Books
Awards
- Catherine Chidgey wins the Robert Burns Fellowship.
- Montana New Zealand Book Awards
- Montana Medal: Douglas Lloyd Jenkins, At Home: A Century of New Zealand Design
- Deutz Medal: Patricia Grace, Tu
- Reader's Choice: Julie Le Clerc and John Bougen, Made in Morocco
- First Book Awards:
- Fiction: Julian Novitz, My Real Life and Other Stories
- Poetry: Sonja Yelich, Clung
- Non-fiction: Douglas Wright, Ghost Dance
Music
Television
Film
Internet
Sport
Athletics
Basketball
Cricket
- March: New Zealand cricket team beaten in test and ODI series by Australia.
- December: New Zealand cricket team beaten 2-1 in an ODI series for the Chappell-Hadlee trophy, but New Zealand sets a world record by successfully chasing a target of 332 runs in the final game.
Golf
Rowing
Rugby league
Rugby union
Soccer
Births
Deaths
- 2 January: John Ziman, physicist and humanist.
- 19 January: Bill Andersen, trade union leader.
- 21 January: Neville Scott, 1958 Commonwealth Games bronze medalist in 3 mile race.
- 9 March: Brian Turner (RNZN) OBE, DSO, Legion of Merit (US), Navy Commander.
- 23 April: Joh Bjelke-Petersen, Queensland politician.
- 11 May: Bob Stuart, All Black captain and later manager.
- 13 May: Owen Wilkes, peace activist.
- 29 May: Admiral Sir Gordon Tait KCB, DSC, Submariner. Later headed Royal Naval College and became Second Sea Lord.
- 12 June: Sonja Davies, trade unionist and MP.
- 17 June: Jonathan Elworthy, Minister of Lands 1981-84.
- 11 July: Sir John Kennedy-Good, KBE, QSO. Mayor of Lower Hutt 1970-86.
- 21 July: Nick Unkovich, Lawn bowls national title holder.
- 24 July: John Drawbridge MBE, artist and printmaker.
- 5 August: Roy Scott, cricketer.
- 13 August: David Lange, former Prime Minister.
- 29 August: Jack Luxton, National MP 1966-87, deputy speaker 1978-84.
- 4 October: John Falloon, National MP and Cabinet Minister.
- 5 November: Rod Donald, Green Party co-leader.
- 20 November: Bob Rudd (aged 104). New Zealand's last resident World War I veteran.
- 1 December: Ray Hanna, Former Leader of The Red Arrows.
- 18 December: Doug Dye, microbiologist.
See also
For world events and topics in 2005 not specifically related to New Zealand see: 2005
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