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{{Infobox political party
| country = New Zealand
| dissolved = {{start date and age|df=yes|2023|2|28}}
| name = Social Credit Party
| colorcode = {{party color|Social Credit Party (New Zealand)}}
| logo = NZ Social Credit Party logo.png
| foundation = 10{{start Januarydate and age|df=yes|1953|1|10}}▼
| leader = [[Chris Leitch (politician)|Chris Leitch]]
| president = Gloria Bruni
▲| foundation = 10 January 1953
| predecessor = [[Real Democracy Movement (New Zealand)|Real Democracy Movement]]
| ideology = {{nowrap|[[Social credit]]}}
| position =
| seats1_title = [[New Zealand House of Representatives|House of Representatives]]
| seats1 = {{composition bar|0|120|hex={{party color|Social Credit Party (New Zealand)}}}}
| slogan = "Here for Good"
| headquarters = 42 Reyburn House Lane, WhangareiWhangārei, 0110
| website = {{url|socialcredit.nz}}
}}
 
The '''New Zealand Social Credit Party''' (sometimes called "'''Socred"'''") iswas a political party that was New Zealand's [[Third party (politics)|third party]] from the 1950s to the 1980s. It waswon electedrepresentation toin the [[New Zealand House of Representatives]], holding one seat at times between 1966 and 1981, and two seats from 1981 to 1987. ItWhile wasSocial namedCredit theonce '''Newhad Zealandsignificant Democraticsupport, Party'''particularly fromas 1985a to[[protest 2018vote]], andit was partdisadvantaged ofby [[first-past-the-post voting]] as it had no geographically concentrated vote.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Jennifer |first1=Curtin |last2=Raymond |first2=Miller |title=Political parties – Challenging the two-party system |url=https://teara.govt.nz/en/political-parties/page-3 |website=[[AllianceTe Ara: The Encyclopedia of (New Zealand]] political|language=en-NZ party)|Alliancedate=20 June 2012}}</ref> Its most identifiable leaders were [[Vernon Cracknell]] (1963-70), who served just one term in parliament, and the household name [[Bruce Beetham]], who rebuilt the party frominto 1991a tosignificant 2002political force. ItAt returnedits tozenith theunder Beetham in 1981, Social Credit nameachieved inan unprecedented 20.7% of the 2018vote.
 
The party held no seats in its own right after 1987 and subsequently declined. It was named the '''New Zealand Democratic Party''' from 1985 to 2018, and was part of the [[Alliance (New Zealand political party)|Alliance]] from 1991 to 2002. The party returned to the Social Credit name in 2018. The Social Credit Party and its logo were deregistered at the party's request on 28 February 2023, following the death of its leader [[Chris Leitch (politician)|Chris Leitch]] earlier that year.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Amendment to Party Register |url=https://elections.nz/media-and-news/2023/amendment-to-party-register/ |access-date=2023-03-01 |website=Elections |language=en-NZ}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=After long battle with neck cancer Whangārei,-based Social Credit leader Chris Leitch dies |url=https://www.nzherald.co.nz/northern-advocate/news/social-credit-leader-chris-leitch-from-whangarei-dies-aged-70/4AKCW6G64NCDDC46HPZBPGP76E/ |access-date=2023-03-01 |website=NZ Herald |language=en-NZ}}</ref>
The party is based on the ideas of [[social credit]], an economic theory established by Major [[C. H. Douglas]]. Social Credit movements also existed in [[Australia]] (''see:'' [[Douglas Credit Party]] & [[Australian League of Rights]]), [[Canada]] (''see:'' [[Social Credit Party of Canada]]), and the [[United Kingdom]] (''see:'' [[Social Credit Party of Great Britain and Northern Ireland|UK Social Credit Party]]) although the relationship between those movements and the New Zealand movement was not always amicable.▼
 
▲The party iswas based on the ideas of [[social credit]], an economic theory established by Major [[C. H. Douglas]]. Social Creditcredit movements also existed in [[Australia]] (''see:'' [[Douglas Credit Party]] &and [[Australian League of Rights]]), [[Canada]] (''see:'' [[Social Credit Party of Canada]]), and the [[United Kingdom]] (''see:'' [[Social Credit Party of Great Britain and Northern Ireland|UK Social Credit Party]]) although the relationship between those movements and the New Zealand movement was not always amicable. The party was also intermittently damaged from allegations of [[antisemitism]], stemming from Douglas' own racist views. Beetham formally denounced antisemitism upon his election.
 
==History==
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The Social Credit Political League was formed in 1953 out of the membership of the Social Credit Association, an educational organisation. The association focused much of its efforts on the [[Country Party (New Zealand)|Country Party]] and [[New Zealand Labour Party]], where it attempted to influence economic policy.
 
The Socialsocial Creditcredit Movementmovement decided to set up a "separate political organisation" the [[Real Democracy Movement (New Zealand)|Real Democracy Movement]] in 1942. RDM got about 4,400 votes in the {{NZ election link|1943}}.<ref>{{cite news|url= https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/paperspast?a=d&cl=search&d=EP19420203.2.52&srpos=5&e=01-01-1942-30-09-1943--10--1----0Marks+Real-ARTICLE- |title= Social Credit Political Action |publisher= Papers Past |date=4 February 1942}}</ref> [[Roly Marks]] had stood as a monetary reform candidate on behalf of the Real Democracy Movement in the [[Whanganui (New Zealand electorate)|Wanganui]] electorate in 1943, and was later made a life member of the League.
 
Maurice Hayes stood for the {{NZ electorate link|Waimate}} electorate on behalf of the ''Social Credit Association'' in the {{NZ election link|1951}}, receiving 374 votes and coming third.<ref>{{cite book |last= Norton |first= Clifford |title= New Zealand Parliamentary Election Results 1946–1987: Occasional Publications No 1, Department of Political Science |year= 1988 |publisher= Victoria University of Wellington |location= Wellington |isbn= 0-475-11200-8 |page= 370 }}</ref>
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The Social Credit Party was established as the Social Credit Political League. It was founded on 10 January 1953, and grew out of the earlier Social Credit Association.
 
The party's first leader was [[Wilfrid Owen]], a businessman. Much of the early activity in the party involved formulating policy and promoting Socialsocial Creditcredit theories to the public.
 
===Early history (1953–1972)===
[[File:Vernon Cracknell.jpg|thumb|[[Vernon Cracknell]], leader 1962–701963–70, MP for Hobson 1966–69]]
Social Credit gained support quickly, and in the [[1954 New Zealand general election|1954 elections]], the party won 11.13% of the vote. The party failed to win seats in parliament under the [[first past the post electoral system]]. The party's quick rise did, however, prompt discussion of the party's policies. National saw Social Credit as a threat in the [[1957 New Zealand general election|1957 election]] and established a caucus committee to challenge their theories. Gustafson comments that the successes in some seats (Hobson, Rangitikei, East Coast Bays and Pakuranga) came from a "peculiar and infrequent combination of factors", with votes in those seats coming from "a handful of committed monetary reformers plus alienated National voters and the tactical voting of Labour supporters in a seat where Labour could not win".<ref>*{{cite book |last= Gustafson |author-link= Barry Gustafson |first= Barry |title= The First 50 Years: A History of the New Zealand National Party |year= 1986 |publisher=Reed Methuen |location= Auckland |isbn= 0-474-00177-6 |page= 67 }}</ref>
 
In 1960 [[P. H. Matthews]] replaced Owen as leader, before being replaced three years later by [[Vernon Cracknell]], an accountant. It was not until the [[1966 New Zealand general election|1966 election]], however, that the party won its first representation in parliament. [[Vernon Cracknell]], anmanaged accountant,to wonwin the [[Hobson (New Zealand electorate)|Hobson]] electorate in [[Northland (region), New Zealand|Northland]] in 1966, a region that had been a stronghold of the Country Party. Cracknell narrowly defeated the [[New Zealand National Party|National Party]]'s [[Logan Sloane]], the incumbent, after having placed second in the previous two elections.
 
Cracknell did not prove to be a good performer in parliament itself, however, and did not succeed in advancing the Social Credit manifesto. Partly due to this, and partly due to an exceptionally poor campaign, Cracknell was not re-elected in the [[1969 New Zealand general election|1969 election]], returning Sloane to parliament and depriving Social Credit of its only seat.
Line 54 ⟶ 53:
 
===Popularity zenith (1972–1985)===
[[File:Bruce Craig Beetham (cropped).jpg|thumb|right|[[Bruce Beetham]], leader 1972–85, MP for Rangitikei 1978–84]]
O'Brien's replacement was [[Bruce Beetham]], who would become the most well known Social Credit leader. Beetham took over in time for the [[1972 New Zealand general election|1972 election]]. Despite a relatively strong showing, Social Credit failed to win any seats, a fact that some blamed on the rise of the new [[Values Party]]. While the Values Party did not win any seats, many supporters of Social Credit believed that it drew voters away from the older party.
 
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In 2005, the party re-added "for Social Credit" to its name to supplement its party name. The Democrats contested that year's [[2005 New Zealand general election|general election]] as an independent party and received 0.05% of the party vote. In the [[2008 New Zealand general election|2008 general election]], the party again won 0.05% of the party vote.<ref>[http://2008.electionresults.govt.nz/partystatus.html Chief Electoral Office: Official Count Results: Overall status] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090209051141/http://2008.electionresults.govt.nz/partystatus.html |date=9 February 2009 }}</ref>
 
The party did not apply for broadcasting funding for the [[2011 New Zealand general election|2011 election]]. During the election, it won 1,432 votes<ref name=2011results>{{cite web |url= http://electionresults.govt.nz/electionresults_2011/partystatus.html |title=2011 Election Results – Overall Status |publisher=New Zealand Electoral Commission |access-date=27 November 2011}}</ref> and was the only party to not attract a party vote in an electorate (Mangere).<ref>{{cite news |url= http://www.nzherald.co.nz/election-2011/news/article.cfm?c_id=1503012&objectid=10769192 |title=No votes, no surprise for party leader |author=Matthew Backhouse |work=[[The New Zealand Herald]] |date=27 November 2011 |access-date=27 November 2011}}</ref> 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]].<ref>{{cite web|title=DSC-announces-Party-list|url=http://www.democrats.org.nz/News/NewsItem/tabid/119/ArticleId/1216/DSC-announces-Party-list.aspx|website=Democrats.org.nz}}</ref>
 
During the [[2017 New Zealand general election|2017 general election]], the Democrats for Social Credit ran 26 candidates, namely 13 electorate candidates and 13 list only candidates.<ref>{{cite news|title=Democrats for Social Credit Announce Party List|url= http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO1709/S00003/democrats-for-social-credit-announce-party-list.htm |access-date=6 October 2017|agency=[[Scoop.co.nz]]|publisher=[[Democrats for Social Credit]]|date=1 September 2017}}</ref> The party gained 806 votes on the party vote (0.0%) and failed to win any seats in Parliament.<ref name="2017 general election results">{{cite web|title=2017 General Election – Official Result|url= http://www.electionresults.govt.nz/electionresults_2017/ |publisher=New Zealand Electoral Commission|access-date=7 October 2017}}</ref>
 
In June 2018, the party voted to change its name back to Social Credit after [[Chris Leitch (politician)|Chris Leitch]] was elected leader.<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO1806/S00188/party-changes-name-and-elects-new-leader.htm |title=Party Changes Name and Elects New Leader |publisher=Democrats for Social Credit |date=17 June 2018 |access-date=10 July 2018}}</ref>
 
During the [[2020 New Zealand general election|2020 general election]], Social Credit won no seats, obtaining 1,520 votes (0.05%)- Official results.<ref>{{cite web |title=2020 General Election and Referendums - Official Result |url=https://www.electionresults.govt.nz/electionresults_2020/ |publisher=[[Electoral Commission (New Zealand)|Electoral Commission]] |access-date=21 May 2021 }}</ref> In 2021 the party opposed [[COVID-19 vaccination in New Zealand|COVID-19 vaccine mandates]].<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.socialcredit.nz/mandates | title=Mandates }}</ref>
 
The party's registration was cancelled at its own request on 28 February 2023.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://elections.nz/media-and-news/2023/amendment-to-party-register/ |title=Amendment to Party Register |publisher=Electoral Commission |date=1 March 2023 |access-date=1 March 2023}}</ref> Leitch died in January 2023 which left "a really big hole" in the party organisation according to party president Gloria Bruni. The party requested deregistration due to membership having dipped below 500 but will still remain active despite being deregistered and being unable to submit a [[party list]] at the [[2023 New Zealand general election|2023 general election]]. Bruni stated that the party intends to rebrand to avoid comparison with the controversial [[social credit system]] used by the [[Chinese Communist Party]].<ref>{{cite web |first=Gary |last=Hamilton-Irvine |url=https://www.nzherald.co.nz/hawkes-bay-today/news/once-a-political-force-social-credit-party-deregisters-vows-to-rebrand-in-2024/AUFTHGWLEVECFBF6WOZWHZV5YE/ |title=Once a political force: Social Credit Party deregisters, vows to rebrand in 2024 |work=[[Hawke's Bay Today]] |date=8 March 2023 |access-date=9 March 2023 }}</ref>
== Accusations of antisemitism (1934–1984) ==▼
{{update inline|date=May 2024}}
 
▲== Accusations of antisemitism (1934–1984) ==
During the 20th century, the Social Credit movement in New Zealand was accused of indulging in [[antisemitism|antisemitic]] conspiracy theories. [[C. H. Douglas|Major C. H. Douglas]], the founder of the Social Credit movement, toured New Zealand in 1934 and expounded his view that Jews were involved in a global conspiracy to control finance. His ideas were discussed in the New Zealand Social Credit publication ''Plain Talk''.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web|url= https://teara.govt.nz/en/ethnic-and-religious-intolerance/page-6 |title=6. – Ethnic and religious intolerance – Te Ara: The Encyclopedia of New Zealand|last=Taonga|first=New Zealand Ministry for Culture and Heritage Te Manatu|website=teara.govt.nz|language=en|access-date=4 January 2020}}</ref> Social Credit, along with the Department of Internal Affairs, published ''From Europe to New Zealand: An Account of Our Continental European Settlers'' by [[Eric Butler]] and R.A Lochore, which repeated Jewish financial conspiracy claims.<ref name=":0">{{Cite book|title=Jewish Lives in New Zealand: A History|author-link1=Paul Spoonley|last=Spoonley|first=Paul|publisher=Random House|year=2012}}</ref> In the [[1980 East Coast Bays by-election]], the Labour Party attempted to discredit Social Credit with a pamphlet that set out Major Douglas’s antisemitic views.<ref name="Not a Fair Go"/>▼
 
▲During the 20th century, the Socialsocial Creditcredit movement in New Zealand was accused of indulging in [[antisemitismAntisemitic trope|antisemitic]] conspiracy theories]]. [[C. H. Douglas|Major C. H. Douglas]], the founder of the Socialsocial Creditcredit movement, toured New Zealand in 1934 and expounded his view that Jews were involved in a global conspiracy to control finance. His ideas were discussed in the New Zealand Social Credit publication ''Plain Talk''.<ref name=":1Taonga">{{Cite web|url= https://teara.govt.nz/en/ethnic-and-religious-intolerance/page-6 |title=6. – Ethnic and religious intolerance – |work=[[Te Ara: The Encyclopedia of New Zealand]]|last=Taonga|firstpublisher=New Zealand Ministry for Culture and Heritage Te Manatu|website=teara.govt.nz Taonga|language=en|access-date=4 January 2020}}</ref> Social Credit, along with the Department of Internal Affairs, published ''From Europe to New Zealand: An Account of Our Continental European Settlers'' by [[Eric Butler]] and R.A Lochore, which repeated Jewish financial conspiracy claims.<ref name=":0Spoonley-2012">{{Cite book|title=Jewish Lives in New Zealand: A History|author-link1=Paul Spoonley|last=Spoonley|first=Paul|publisher=Random House|year=2012}}</ref> In the [[1980 East Coast Bays by-election]], the Labour Party attempted to discredit Social Credit with a pamphlet that set out Major Douglas’s antisemitic views.<ref name="Not a Fair Go"/>
The encyclopedia [[Te Ara: The Encyclopedia of New Zealand|Te Ara]] states that the antisemitism of Social Credit ended in the 1970s with the election of leader [[Bruce Beetham]] who was more liberal.<ref name=":1" /> Professor Paul Spooney stated that antisemitic sentiment was "largely irrelevant" by the 1970s, but remained present until 1984 when Beetham ejected party members who believed in an international financial Jewish conspiracy.<ref name=":0" />▼
 
▲The encyclopedia ''[[Te Ara: The Encyclopedia of New Zealand|Te Ara]]'' states that the antisemitism of Social Credit ended in the 1970s with the election of leader [[Bruce Beetham]] who was more liberal.<ref name=":1Taonga" /> Professor Paul Spooney stated that antisemitic sentiment was "largely irrelevant" by the 1970s, but remained present until 1984 when Beetham ejected party members who believed in an international financial Jewish conspiracy.<ref name=":0Spoonley-2012" />
Social Credit continues to receive accusation of conspiracy theory and anti-semitism in spite of [[C. H. Douglas|Major C. H. Douglas]] making distinctions between the ethnic-individual "Jew", who he specifically remarked as not "on trial", and the actual behaviour of banking cartels he sought to oppose. In contrast to accusations of anti-semitism, Mr Douglas also praised the "success in many walks of life" of Jewish people.<ref>{{cite book
|first=Clifford, H
|last=Douglas
|title=Social Credit
|publisher=Isha Books
|page=12
|isbn=9333159908
}}</ref> More-recent analysis of fascist movements during post-war New Zealand suggests that although such conceptions are notable within the Social Credit movement, anti-Semitism was not a predominant feature of monetary reform groups and was unlikely to provide the basis of a right-wing movement.<ref>https://www.wgtn.ac.nz/stout-centre/research-units/security-and-surveillance-project/publications/2015-2-Loveridge-Discerning-the-Fascist-Creed.pdf {{Bare URL PDF|date=March 2022}}</ref>
 
== Electoral results ==
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| style="text-align:right;" | 0
| style="text-align:right;" | {{Percentage|0|97|0|pad=yes}}
| data-sort-value="" | {{Infobox political party/seats|0|97|hex={{party color|SocialNew CreditZealand Democratic Party (New Zealand)}}}}
| style="text-align:right;" | 105,091
| style="text-align:right;" | 5.74%
| {{percentage bar|5.74||c={{party color|SocialNew CreditZealand Democratic Party (New Zealand)}}|border-color=#c0c0c0|background-color=#f0f0f0}}
|-
! {{NZ election link year|1990}}
| style="text-align:right;" | 0
| style="text-align:right;" | {{Percentage|0|97|0|pad=yes}}
| data-sort-value="" | {{Infobox political party/seats|0|97|hex={{party color|SocialNew CreditZealand Democratic Party (New Zealand)}}}}
| style="text-align:right;" | 30,455
| style="text-align:right;" | 1.67%
| {{percentage bar|1.67||c={{party color|SocialNew CreditZealand Democratic Party (New Zealand)}}|border-color=#c0c0c0|background-color=#f0f0f0}}
|-
!bgcolor=#f9f9f9|[[1993 New Zealand general election|1993]]–[[1999 New Zealand general election|1999]]
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| style="text-align:right;" | 0
| style="text-align:right;" | {{Percentage|0|121|0|pad=yes}}
| data-sort-value="" | {{Infobox political party/seats|0|121|hex={{party color|SocialNew CreditZealand Democratic Party (New Zealand)}}}}
| style="text-align:right;" | 1,079
| style="text-align:right;" | 0.05%
| {{percentage bar|0.05||c={{party color|SocialNew CreditZealand Democratic Party (New Zealand)}}|border-color=#c0c0c0|background-color=#f0f0f0}}
|-
! {{NZ election link year|2008}}
| style="text-align:right;" | 0
| style="text-align:right;" | {{Percentage|0|122|0|pad=yes}}
| data-sort-value="" | {{Infobox political party/seats|0|122|hex={{party color|SocialNew CreditZealand Democratic Party (New Zealand)}}}}
| style="text-align:right;" | 1,208
| style="text-align:right;" | 0.05%
| {{percentage bar|0.05||c={{party color|SocialNew CreditZealand Democratic Party (New Zealand)}}|border-color=#c0c0c0|background-color=#f0f0f0}}
|-
! {{NZ election link year|2011}}
| style="text-align:right;" | 0
| style="text-align:right;" | {{Percentage|0|121|0|pad=yes}}
| data-sort-value="" | {{Infobox political party/seats|0|121|hex={{party color|SocialNew CreditZealand Democratic Party (New Zealand)}}}}
| style="text-align:right;" | 1,432
| style="text-align:right;" | 0.07%
| {{percentage bar|0.07||c={{party color|SocialNew CreditZealand Democratic Party (New Zealand)}}|border-color=#c0c0c0|background-color=#f0f0f0}}
|-
! {{NZ election link year|2014}}
| style="text-align:right;" | 0
| style="text-align:right;" | {{Percentage|0|121|0|pad=yes}}
| data-sort-value="" | {{Infobox political party/seats|0|121|hex={{party color|SocialNew CreditZealand Democratic Party (New Zealand)}}}}
| style="text-align:right;" | 1,730
| style="text-align:right;" | 0.07%
| {{percentage bar|0.07||c={{party color|SocialNew CreditZealand Democratic Party (New Zealand)}}|border-color=#c0c0c0|background-color=#f0f0f0}}
|-
! {{NZ election link year|2017}}
| style="text-align:right;" | 0
| style="text-align:right;" | {{Percentage|0|120|0|pad=yes}}
| data-sort-value="" | {{Infobox political party/seats|0|120|hex={{party color|SocialNew CreditZealand Democratic Party (New Zealand)}}}}
| style="text-align:right;" | 806
| style="text-align:right;" | 0.03%
| {{percentage bar|0.03||c={{party color|SocialNew CreditZealand Democratic Party (New Zealand)}}|border-color=#c0c0c0|background-color=#f0f0f0}}
|-
! {{NZ election link year|2020}}
Line 354 ⟶ 347:
|}
 
=== Parliamentary partyParty leader ===
{|class="wikitable" style=""
|-
Line 366 ⟶ 359:
|[[P.H. Matthews]] || 1960–1962
|-
|[[Vernon Cracknell]] || 1962–19701963–1970
|-
|[[John O'Brien (New Zealand politician)|John O'Brien]] || 1970–1972
Line 382 ⟶ 375:
|[[Stephnie de Ruyter]] || 2002–2018
|-
|[[Chris Leitch (politician)|Chris Leitch]] || 2018–present2018–2023
|}
 
Line 474 ⟶ 467:
* [https://www.socialcredit.nz/ Official website]
 
{{Historic New Zealand political parties}}
{{NZ Democratic Party}}
{{Social Credit}}
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