National Party forgets date New Zealand women achieved suffrage... 1983? 1883? 1893?

The National Party has made an embarrassing mistake on social media after twice mixing up the year in which New Zealand women achieved the right to vote.

In a post marking the 131st anniversary of New Zealand becoming the first country in the world to grant women the vote, the National Party shared a picture on social media platform X at 8.44am on Thursday of Kate Sheppard with the caption “On this day in 1983, women won the right to vote in New Zealand”.

At 9.04am, 20 minutes after the first post, the party attempted to correct it, but, instead tweeted “On this day in 1883, women won the right to vote in New Zealand”.

Two minutes later, the party finally tweeted the correct date: “On this day in 1893, women won the right to vote in New Zealand.”

On this day in 1983, women won the right to vote in New Zealand. pic.twitter.com/Bj3bOdEA6F

— NZ National Party (@NZNationalParty) September 18, 2024

On this day in 1883, women won the right to vote in New Zealand. pic.twitter.com/Qj76m3FtVr

— NZ National Party (@NZNationalParty) September 18, 2024

On this day in 1893, women won the right to vote in New Zealand. pic.twitter.com/qU8RD18eNJ

— NZ National Party (@NZNationalParty) September 18, 2024

The Herald has approached the National Party for comment.

Spinoff journalist Hayden Donnell tweeted that he had genuine admiration for the persistence of the National social media person.

“After the second one I would have simply thrown my computer into the sea”.

Labour’s spokeswoman for women Jan Tinetti said the Government is “paying lip service to equity for women”.

“It has closed the Pay Equity Unit that would’ve gone far to fix gender gap and announced changes to sick pay that will disproportionately affect women. On this Suffrage Day, it’s unfortunate we have a Government that is taking away some of the things women have advocated for.”

Sheppard was the face of New Zealand’s push to be the first country in the world to give women the right to vote.

The firebrand suffragette famously gathered the signatures of 32,000 New Zealand women in a groundswell of support for their cause.

The 270m-long petition was presented to Parliament, and, the Electoral Act 1893 was soon passed, two months before the election.

In 2019, the Government purchased Sheppard’s former home for $4.5 million to become a heritage venue and educational centre.

Then-Prime Minister Dame Jacinda Ardern said “The legacy of the suffrage movement and achievements of Kate Sheppard and other New Zealand women will be told at this special place.”

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