The following lists events that happened during 1997 in New Zealand. Population Estimated population as of 31 December: 3,802,700 Increase since 31 December 1996: 40,400 (1.07%) Males per 100 Females: 97.1 Incumbents Regal and viceregal Head of State – Elizabeth II Governor-General – The Rt Hon. Sir Michael Hardie Boys GNZM, GCMG, QSO Government The 45th New Zealand Parliament continued. Government was The National Party, led by Jim Bolger, in coalition with New Zealand First, led by Winston Peters. Speaker of the House – Doug Kidd Prime Minister – Jim Bolger then Jenny Shipley Deputy Prime Minister – Winston Peters Minister of Finance – Bill Birch Minister of Foreign Affairs – Don McKinnon Chief Justice — Sir Thomas Eichelbaum Parliamentary leaders Labour – (37 seats) Helen Clark (Leader of the Opposition) Alliance – (13 seats) Jim Anderton ACT New Zealand – (8 seats) Richard Prebble United New Zealand- (1 seat) Peter Dunne 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 8 February: Stephen Anderson, 24, shoots 11 people, killing 6 of them (including his wife and parents) at Raurimu. 16 July: List MP Alamein Kopu resigns from the Alliance Party but remains a member of parliament. This causes controversy because Kopu has signed contracts with the party that she would resign from Parliament should she leave the party. 10 September: Parliament's privileges committee finds that Alamein Kopu is entitled to remain an independent MP. Argentina reopens its embassy in Wellington (closed since 1982). Arts and literature Paddy Richardson wins the Robert Burns Fellowship. Montana New Zealand Book Awards: Book of the Year/Cultural Heritage: Jessie Munro, The Story of Suzanne Aubert First Book Awards Fiction: Dominic Sheehan, Finding Home Poetry: Diane Brown, Before the Divorce We Go To Disneyland Non-Fiction: Jessie Munro, The Story of Suzanne Aubert See 1997 in art, 1997 in literature, :Category:1997 books Music New Zealand Music Awards Winners are shown first with nominees underneath. Album of the Year: Strawpeople – Vicarious Emma Paki – Oxygen of Love Garageland – Last Exit to Garageland OMC The Mutton Birds – Envy of Angels Single of the Year: DLT Featuring Che Fu – Chains Bic Runga – Bursting Through Garageland Strawpeople – Taller Than God The Mutton Birds Best Male Vocalist: Che Fu –