Learning Intentions; students are learning to…
- Understand important features about the main political parties during the mid Seventies.
- Gain an understanding and assess some of the main personalities and issues in New Zealand politics at this time.
Success Criteria; students will know they have achieved the learning intentions when they can…
- Write responses showing an awareness of the main ideas presented within the footage.
- Critically assess some of the ideas presented by the major political parties at this time and give valid statements about the possible motivations of the political parties.
Relevant Footage:
Part One, Politics and the Economy
Election Night (1972):
Norman Kirk and Robert Muldoon
Political Advertising,
The Economy
(Also see the National Party advertisement on disk two, Immigration: The Overstayers: A Pacific Story)
Introduction:
The 1975 Election saw National defeat Labour as convincingly as Labour had crushed National in 1972. The popular Norman Kirk, who led the way protesting nuclear testing in the Pacific, had died in office the previous year and had been replaced with Bill Rowling. Muldoon’s combative style and effective debating technique along with an advertising campaign which played on the public’s fears of communism and immigration saw National sweep to victory. This somewhat ironically began a phase in New Zealand’s history where Muldoon exerted extreme control over the economy.
The 1975 election broadcast was the first to be televised with computer calculations of results. The technology was not fully trusted.
The complete footage for this section may not hold a junior class’ interest but various aspects will be of interest for their significance or extremity of style. It is intended that the worksheet supporting this resource be used as needed and not necessarily used in its entirety.
Lesson Outline
Watch the footage and work through all or part of the Resource Seven worksheet. Use different sections for starters on discussion that compares politics of the time with current issues in politics today.
