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New Zealand National Party
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==Organisation== [[File:Vote National in Kaikoura, 2014.jpg|thumb|left|National Party election campaigners in [[Kaikōura]], 2014]] In the 1930s National first emulated and then outstripped Labour in building a large low-fee membership, with wide [[grassroots]] support. By the mid-1970s it claimed to have around 200,000 members. Since 1981 National (as well as the Labour Party) has suffered a steady decline in membership. By the early 2000s party membership was below 30,000.<ref>{{cite encyclopedia |title=National Party membership, 1938–2002 |url=https://teara.govt.nz/en/graph/33893/national-party-membership-1938-2002 |encyclopedia=[[Te Ara: The Encyclopedia of New Zealand]] |access-date=15 August 2020}}</ref> National features both regional and [[New Zealand electorates|electorate]]-level organisational structures. National traditionally had a strongly decentralised organisation, designed to allow electorates and the five regions to appeal to the unique voter base in their area. However, in light of the [[2002 New Zealand general election|2002 election result]], in which the party suffered a significant loss of its support base, a review of the party organisation resulted in decisions to weaken the regional structure and to implement a more centralised structure. The restructuring was ostensibly planned to make the party organisation more "appropriate" for the [[mixed-member proportional representation|mixed-member proportional]] electoral system, where votes are cast for a countrywide party list.<ref name="Stephens">Stephens, Gregory R. ''[http://researcharchive.vuw.ac.nz/handle/10063/302 Electoral Reform and the Centralisation of the New Zealand National Party]'', MA thesis, [[Victoria University of Wellington]]</ref> Currently, the affairs of the party are centrally governed by a Board of Directors, comprising the party leader, one caucus representative, the party's general manager and seven elected members. The board elects a party president from within its members. An Annual Conference determines party [[policy]], and elects members to the Board of Directors. The party is subdivided into Electorate Committees; each committee sends six delegates to Annual Conference, including a chair and any [[Member of parliament|MPs]] from within the electorate.<ref name="constitution">{{cite web|title=Constitution and Rules of the New Zealand National Party|url=https://www.elections.org.nz/sites/default/files/National_party_rules_0.pdf|edition=25th|publisher=New Zealand National Party|date=October 2016|access-date=1 May 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161221005803/https://www.elections.org.nz/sites/default/files/National_party_rules_0.pdf|archive-date=21 December 2016|url-status=dead}}</ref> The [[Leader of the New Zealand National Party|leader of the National Party]] ({{As of|December 2021|alt=currently}} [[Christopher Luxon]]), elected by the party's [[caucus|current sitting MPs]], acts as a spokesperson for National and is responsible for managing the party's business within parliament. The president ({{As of|2022|alt=currently}} [[Sylvia Wood]], elected to the role in August 2022)<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/politics/sylvia-wood-elected-national-party-president/ZVWXEVMLI64MG4D6QJ5YYXBLJI/ |title=Sylvia Wood elected National Party president |first=Thomas |last=Coughlan |date=7 August 2022 |work=[[The New Zealand Herald]] |access-date=7 August 2022}}</ref> heads the administration outside of parliament.<ref name="constitution"/> Within National there are a number of organised groups of members, called Special Interest Groups, that share a particular belief, interest or cause. Other groups are also involved in the party's policy reviews.<ref>{{cite web|title=Policy Advisory Groups|url=https://www.national.org.nz/policy_advisory_groups|publisher=New Zealand National Party|access-date=2 May 2018|language=en}}</ref> For instance, the Bluegreens are a group within National who help formulate [[environmental policy]].<ref>{{cite web|title=About Us|url=https://bluegreens.national.org.nz/about_bluegreens|website=bluegreens.national.co.nz|publisher=New Zealand National Party|access-date=2 May 2018|language=en}}</ref> The party's youth wing, the [[New Zealand Young Nationals|Young Nationals]] (commonly known as the ''Young Nats''), has provided much political impetus as a [[ginger group]].<ref name="Stephens"/> Often the more social-liberal views of the Young Nats have been at odds with those in the senior party.<ref>{{cite web |title=Our Story |url=https://youngnats.national.org.nz/our_story |website=Young Nats |access-date=22 January 2019 |language=en}}</ref> National is affiliated to—and plays a leading part in—the [[International Democracy Union]] (IDU) and the [[Asia Pacific Democrat Union]] (APDU).<ref name="APDU"/> Former National Prime Minister John Key was the chairman of the IDU from 2014 to 2018.<ref>{{cite news|title=John Key chairs International Democrat Union|url=http://www.newshub.co.nz/nznews/john-key-chairs-international-democratic-union-2014112207|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170428145840/http://www.newshub.co.nz/nznews/john-key-chairs-international-democratic-union-2014112207|url-status=dead|archive-date=28 April 2017|access-date=2 May 2018|work=[[Newshub]]|date=21 November 2014|language=en}}</ref>
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