office_contested new zealand general election
The 1978 New Zealand general election was a nationwide vote to elect the 39th New Zealand Parliament . It saw the governing National Party , led by Robert Muldoon , retain office , although the opposition Labour Party managed to win the largest share of the vote . Reorganisation of the enrolment system caused major problems with the electoral rolls , and left a legacy of unreliable information about voting levels in this election . The ___MASK46___ is the head of government of New Zealand . The current prime minister is Bill English of the National Party , who took office on 12 December 2016 . Sir Robert David " Rob " Muldoon ( 25 September 19215 August 1992 ) served as the 31st ___MASK46___ from 1975 to 1984 , as leader of the governing National Party . Muldoon was a Minister of Finance ( a portfolio he also held while Prime Minister ), a prominent member of the National Party and MP for the Tamaki electorate in Auckland prior to becoming party leader in 1974 .