Editing New Zealand National Party (section)

===Fifth Government (2008–2017)===
{{Main|Fifth National Government of New Zealand}}
[[File:John Key February 2015.jpg|upright|thumb|[[John Key|Sir John Key]], Prime Minister, 2008–2016]]
On 8 November 2008, the National Party won 58 seats in the [[2008 New Zealand general election|general election]]. The Labour Party, which had spent three terms in power, conceded the election and Prime Minister [[Helen Clark]] stepped down. National formed a minority government under [[John Key]] with [[confidence and supply|confidence-and-supply]] support from the [[ACT New Zealand|ACT Party]] (5 seats), the [[Māori Party]] (5 seats) and [[United Future]] (1 seat). On 19 November the Governor-General swore in the new National-led government.<ref>{{cite web|title=Key and ministers sworn in |url= http://www.guide2.co.nz/politics/news/key-and-ministers-sworn-in/11/3999|website=guide2.co.nz|date=19 November 2008 |access-date=15 June 2017|language=en}}</ref> In Key's first Cabinet he gave the ACT Party's [[Rodney Hide]] and [[Heather Roy]] ministerial portfolios outside Cabinet, and the Māori Party's [[Tāriana Turia]] and [[Pita Sharples]] the same. United Future leader [[Peter Dunne]] retained his ministerial post outside Cabinet which he had held within the immediately preceding [[Fifth Labour Government of New Zealand|Labour Government]].

National came to power during the [[2008 financial crisis]]. In response to New Zealand's rising debt, Finance Minister [[Bill English]] made budget deficit-reduction his main priority for the first term. The government also [[Taxation in New Zealand|cut taxes]] on all income; the top personal tax rate was lowered from 39% to 38% and then 33% in 2010.<ref>{{cite news|title=Questions and Answers – 25 May 2010 {{!}} Scoop News|url=http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA1005/S00416/questions-and-answers-25-may-2010.htm|access-date=15 June 2017|work=scoop.co.nz|date=25 May 2010}}</ref>

<!-- Deleted image removed: [[File:New Zealand National Party logo.svg|left|thumb|National Party logo, 2002–2017]] -->
At the [[2011 New Zealand general election|26 November 2011 general election]], National gained 47.31% of the party vote, the highest percentage gained by any political party since MMP was introduced, helped by a lower voter turnout and the misfortunes of its traditional support parties.<ref name="auto"/> A reduced wasted vote enabled the party to gain 59 seats in Parliament, one more than in 2008. National re-entered confidence-and-supply agreements with ACT (one seat) and United Future (one seat) on 5 December 2011, enabling it to form a minority government with the support of 61 seats in the new 121-seat Parliament. National also re-entered a confidence-and-supply agreement with the Māori Party on 11 December 2011 for extra insurance, despite the parties differing on National's contentious plans to partially sell (or "extend the mixed ownership model to") four state-owned enterprises. This nearly led to a cancellation of the agreement in February 2012 over [[Treaty of Waitangi claims and settlements|Treaty of Waitangi obligations]] for the mixed ownership companies, and again in July 2012 over water rights.{{citation needed|date=December 2019}}

The government also introduced the "mixed ownership model" plan, in which the Government planned to reduce its share in [[Genesis Energy Limited|Genesis Energy]], [[Meridian Energy]], [[Mercury Energy|Mighty River Power]] and [[Solid Energy]] from 100% to 51% and [[Air New Zealand]] from 74% to 51%, and [[privatization|sell off]] the remainder. The plans to sell down Solid Energy were later axed due to the company's poor financial position. [[2013 New Zealand asset sales referendum|A citizens-initiated referendum]] on the sell-downs returned a 67.3% vote in opposition (on a turnout of 45.1%).<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.electionresults.govt.nz/2013_citizens_referendum/ |title=Citizens Initiated Referendum 2013: Final Result |date=17 December 2013 |access-date=14 December 2019}}</ref>

The National Government won a third term at the [[2014 New Zealand general election|2014 general election]]. The National Party won 47.04% of the party vote, and increased its seats to 60. National resumed its confidence and supply agreements with ACT and United Future.<ref name="auto"/> The National government extended free [[general practitioner]] visits to children under 13 as part of their 2014 election package, as well as extending paid parental leave by two weeks to 16 weeks.<ref name=":0">{{Cite news|title = Election 2014: Nats' promises to you|url = http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11328620|work=[[The New Zealand Herald]] |date = 21 September 2014|access-date = 5 November 2015|issn = 1170-0777}}</ref> The National parliamentary caucus was split on the issue of [[same-sex marriage in New Zealand|same-sex marriage]] in 2014.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Plumb|first1=Alison|title=How do MPs in Westminster democracies vote when unconstrained by party discipline? A comparison of free vote patterns on marriage equality legislation|url=https://www.psa.ac.uk/sites/default/files/conference/papers/2014/Marriage%20Equality%20Alison%20Plumb%20PSA.pdf|publisher=[[Australian National University]]|access-date=13 June 2017|date=2014}}</ref>

Throughout his second and third terms, Key campaigned heavily in favour of free-trade agreements such as the [[Trans-Pacific Partnership]].<ref>{{cite web|title=PM reinforces TPP benefits in New York|url=https://www.beehive.govt.nz/release/pm-reinforces-tpp-benefits-new-york|website=The Beehive|access-date=5 February 2017|date=20 September 2016}}</ref>

After serving Prime Minister for eight years, Key announced his resignation as the party leader on 5 December 2016. He stepped down as Prime Minister on 12 December.<ref name="resignation">{{cite news|title=New Zealand Prime Minister John Key announces resignation|url=http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/87202756/New-Zealand-Government-makes-major-announcement|access-date=5 December 2016|work=[[Stuff (website)|Stuff]] |date=5 December 2016}}</ref> Key's deputy [[Bill English]] was acclaimed as the party's new leader on 12 December 2016 after Health Minister [[Jonathan Coleman (politician)|Jonathan Coleman]] and Minister of Police [[Judith Collins]] withdrew from the [[2016 New Zealand National Party leadership election|leadership election]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/87202756/live-prime-minister-john-key-has-resigned-what-happens-next|title=Live: Prime Minister John Key has resigned. What happens next?|website=[[Stuff (website)|Stuff]] |date=6 December 2016|access-date=6 December 2016}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.nzherald.co.nz/politics/news/article.cfm?c_id=280&objectid=11761231 |title=The race for Prime Minister gets crowded – It's Bill English, Jonathan Coleman and now Judith Collins |work=[[The New Zealand Herald]] |date=6 December 2016 |access-date= 6 December 2016}}</ref>