2005 in New Zealand
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2005 in New Zealand:
Other years in New Zealand
2002 • 2003 • 2004 • 2005 • 2006 • 2007 • 2008

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.

Contents

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

  • 5 March – 10 March: Prince Charles tours New Zealand. The most controversial incident was two women baring their breasts to him, in protest against a misreported objection by the Prince to a topless Aborigine dance in Australia, and the temporary closure of a breast cancer screening caravan due to security concerns during the visit.
  • 12 March: The United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination states that the Foreshore and seabed legislation discriminates against Māori by extinguishing the possibility of establishing Māori customary title over the foreshore and seabed, and by not providing a means of redress.
  • March: Easter road toll the highest for several years.

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

October

November

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).
  • 9 December: 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)
  • 14 December: 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)
  • 15 December: 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).
  • 15 December: 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)
  • 19 December: 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)
  • 21 December: 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)
  • 21 December: 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 27 March 2006. (NZ Herald)
  • 27 December: 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

Radio

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

  • 9 July - The All Blacks complete a 3-0 whitewash of the touring British and Irish Lions.
  • 3 September: 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.
  • 27 November - The All Blacks defeat Scotland at Edinburgh to become only the second All Black touring team to complete the "Grand Slam" of rugby - beating Wales, Ireland, England and Scotland on one tour (the first being in 1978).

Soccer

Births

Deaths

See also

For world events and topics in 2005 not specifically related to New Zealand see: 2005

References

  1. ^ [1]
  2. ^ "Obituary: Ian Alexander Colquhoun". New Zealand Herald (5 March 2005). Retrieved on 2008-09-27.
  3. ^ Carter, Chris (17 August 2005). "Renowned conservationist Kevin Smith has died". New Zealand Government. Retrieved on 2008-09-27.
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