The following lists events that happened during 1996 in New Zealand. Population Estimated population as of 31 December: 3,762,300 Increase since 31 December 1995: 55,600 (1.50%) Males per 100 Females: 97.3 Incumbents Regal and viceregal Head of State - Elizabeth II Governor-General - The Rt Hon. Sir Michael Hardie Boys GNZM, GCMG, QSO Government The 44th New Zealand Parliament continued. Government was The National Party, led by Jim Bolger. In the 1996 New Zealand general election National was returned to power, but had to form a coalition with the New Zealand First. Speaker of the House - Peter Tapsell then Doug Kidd Prime Minister - Jim Bolger Deputy Prime Minister - Don McKinnon then Winston Peters Minister of Finance - Bill Birch Minister of Foreign Affairs - Don McKinnon Chief Justice — Sir Thomas Eichelbaum Opposition leaders See: :Category:Parliament of New Zealand, :New Zealand elections Act - Roger Douglas then Richard Prebble New Zealand First - Winston Peters United Future - Peter Dunne Labour - Helen Clark (Leader of the Opposition) Alliance - Jim Anderton Main centre leaders Mayor of Auckland - Les Mills Mayor of Hamilton - Margaret Evans Mayor of Wellington - Mark Blumsky Mayor of Christchurch - Vicki Buck Mayor of Dunedin - Sukhi Turner Events April: The New Zealand Tablet winds up. The weekly Catholic newspaper started publication in 1873. 1 November: Cartoon Network debuts on New Zealand television. November: Michael Jackson, the king of pop, performed in Auckland both nights (November 9 and November 11), as a part of his world tour, HIStory World Tour. Leaded petrol is phased out. Arts and literature Bernadette Hall wins the Robert Burns Fellowship. Montana New Zealand Book Awards: Book of the Year/Cultural Heritage: Judith Binney, Redemption Songs - A Life of Te Kooti Arikirangi Te Turuki First Book Awards Fiction: Emily Perkins, Not Her Real Name Poetry: James Brown, Go Round Power Please Non-Fiction: Alex Frame, Salmond: Southern Jurist f*INK, Dunedin's weekly entertainment magazine is founded See 1996 in art, 1996 in literature, :Category:1996 books Music New Zealand Music Awards Winners are shown first with nominees underneath. Album of the Year: Shihad - Killjoy Finn Brothers - Finn Howard Morrison - Songs of New Zealand Max Lines - Beautiful Panflute I Starlight String Quartet - Romantic Strings Suzanne Prentice - 25th Anniversary Single of the Year: OMC – How Bizarre D-Faction - Down in the Boondocks Herbs -