Estimated population as of 31 December: 3,345,200
Increase since 31 December 1987: 3,100 (0.09%)
Males per 100 Females: 97.3
Regal and viceregal
Head of State - Elizabeth II
Governor-General - The Rt Revd. Sir Paul Reeves GCMG GCVO QSO
The 42nd New Zealand Parliament continued. The fourth Labour Party government was in power.
Speaker of the House - Kerry Burke
Prime Minister - David Lange
Deputy Prime Minister - Geoffrey Palmer
Minister of Finance - Roger Douglas
Minister of Foreign Affairs - Russell Marshall
Leader of the Opposition - Jim Bolger (National).
Main centre leaders
Mayor of Auckland - Catherine Tizard
Mayor of Hamilton - Ross Jansen
Mayor of Wellington - James Belich
Mayor of Christchurch - Hamish Hay
Mayor of Dunedin - Cliff Skeggs
The number of unemployed reaches 100,000.
The Federation of Labour and Combined State Unions merge to form the Council of Trade Unions.
New Zealand Post closed 432 post offices.
Fisheries quota package announced for Mäori iwi.
The Hokitika Guardian and Star ceases publication.
6 February: Waitangi Day celebrations at Waitangi are suspended.
7 March: Cyclone Bola strikes the East Coast of the North Island
30 March: The State Sector Act is passed to reform the Public Service.
April: The Royal Commission on Social Policy issues its report.
5 April: Gibbs Report ("Unshackling the Hospitals") released.
May: Picot Report on educational administration released.
June: The electrification of the North Island Main Trunk railway between Hamilton and Palmerston North is completed.
1 July: The Government announces the return of Bastion Point to its Ngāti Whātua owners.
1 July: Commercial TV goes 7 days a week, except Good Friday, Easter Sunday, and Christmas Day.
Arts and literature
John Dickson wins the Robert Burns Fellowship.
See 1988 in art, 1988 in literature, Category:1988 books
New Zealand Music Awards
Winners are shown first with nominees underneath.
ALBUM OF THE YEAR Dave Dobbyn - Loyal
Shona Laing - South
The Warratahs - Only game in Town
SINGLE OF THE YEAR Holidaymakers–Sweet Lovers
Dave Dobyyn - Love You Like I Should
Tex Pistol / Rikki Morris - Nobody Else
BEST MALE VOCALIST Dave Dobbyn
Herbs
Barry Saunders
BEST FEMALE VOCALIST Shona Laing
Aishah
Annie Crummer
BEST GROUP Herbs
The Chills
The Warratahs
MOST PROMISING MALE VOCALIST Peter Marshall
Rikki Morris
Thom Nepia
MOST PROMISING FEMALE VOCALIST Mara Finau
Tracey Birnie
Helen Mulholland
MOST PROMISING GROUP Holidaymakers
Straightjacket Fits
The Tunnellers
INTERNATIONAL ACHIEVEMENT Neil Finn
The Chills
Shona Laing
BEST VIDEO Fane Flaws - Sweet Lovers (Holidaymakers)
Janine Morell - Haere Mai
Paul Middleditch - Nobody Else
BEST FILM SOUNDTRACK Dalvanius Prime / Dave Hurley - Poi E
Dalvanius / Ginane / Smith - Ngati
BEST PRODUCER Nigel Stone–Holidaymakers (Holidaymakers)
Tex Pistol - Nobody Else
Stephen McCurdy/ Shona Laing/ Graeme Myhre - South
BEST ENGINEER Nigel Stone–Holidaymakers (Holidaymakers)
Rhys Moody - Brazier'
Rhys Moody/ Doug Rogers - Sensation
BEST JAZZ ALBUM Beaver - Live at Ronnie Scott's
Frank Gibsons Jazz Mobile - Spreading The Word
Sustenance - Sustenance 3
BEST CLASSICAL ALBUM NZ Symphony Orchestra - Prodigal Country
NZ Symphony Orchestra - War and Peace/ Jack Winters Dream
BEST FOLK ALBUM Mike Harding - From The Edge
Wayne Gillespie - Hearts For
David Hollis - With Love
BEST COUNTRY ALBUM The Warratahs - Only Game in Town
Patsy Riggir - The Best OF (Plus Four)
Al Hunter - Jealous Guy
BEST GOSPEL ALBUM Derek Lind - Strange Logic
Barry McGuire - Sailing Free
Stephen Bell Booth - Timeless
BEST POLYNESIAN ALBUM Patea Maori Club - Poi E
Kahurangi - Magically Maori
Dalvanius Prime/ Patea Maori/ Moana/ Dave Dobbyn Guinney/ Kara Pewhairangi - Ngoi Ngoi
BEST SONGWRITER Rikki Morris - Nobody Else
Hona/ Lundon/ Cassells - Listen
Dave Dobbyn - Love You Like I Should
BEST COVER Lesley Maclean - Pagan in a Pagan Land
John Collie - Bird Dog
Susan Pryor - You Don’t Need Me
See: 1988 in music
Benny Award presented by the Variety Artists Club of New Zealand to Alma Woods MBE and Ricky May.
Radio and television
1 December: The Broadcasting Corporation of New Zealand is split into Radio New Zealand and Television New Zealand. The Avalon studio becomes a separate subsidiary of TVNZ. [1]
See: 1988 in New Zealand television, 1988 in television, List of TVNZ television programming, Category:New Zealand television, TV3 (New Zealand), Category:New Zealand television shows, Public broadcasting in New Zealand
Illustrious Energy
Mauri
Send a Gorilla
The Grasscutter
The Navigator: A Mediaeval Odyssey
See: Category:1988 film awards, 1988 in film, List of New Zealand feature films, Cinema of New Zealand, Category:1988 films
See: NZ Internet History
Paul Ballinger wins his third national title in the men's marathon, clocking 2:16:05 on 30 April in Rotorua, while Jillian Costley claims her second in the women's championship (2:39:20).
New Zealand Trotting Cup: Luxury Liner
Auckland Trotting Cup: Luxury Liner - 2nd win
New Zealand at the 1988 Summer Olympics
New Zealand at the 1988 Winter Olympics
Ballinger Belt – John Whiteman (Upper Hutt)
The Chatham Cup is won by Waikato United who beat Christchurch United on the basis of away goals (2-2 and 1-1 in a two-leg final).
