New Zealand National Party leadership election, 1972
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The New Zealand National Party leadership election, was held to determine the future leadership of the New Zealand National Party. The election was won by Karori MP Jack Marshall.
Despite seeming likely that National would go on to lose the 1969 election, it won an unexpected fourth term. Prime Minister Keith Holyoake believed Finance Minister Robert Muldoon was mostly to thank for the victory after his strong promotions of National's economic record and plans during the election campaign. As such, there was much press speculation that Muldoon rather than Jack Marshall might go on to succeed Holyoake as National’s leader. Despite winning in 1969, National was embarrassed in 1970 from a huge by-election defeat triggering the media to speculate when Holyoake would retire. By this stage even Marshall, his long-serving loyal deputy, was also in private encouraging him to retire. However it was not until early 1972 that Holyoake finally did step down as leader.
Marshall had been the deputy leader of National since 1957. By 1972 Holyoake increasingly relied on him to do a bulk of the government workload. He served as Deputy Prime Minister, Attorney-General, Minister of Justice and later Minister of Customs, Minister of Immigration and Minister of Labour as well. Many thought that after fifteen years as deputy to Holyoake, Marshall had earned his chance to lead the National Party, despite criticisms that he was too old and in too poor health (Marshall had suffered a near fatal heart attack in Tehran several years earlier).
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