Ultimately, the end of Muldoon's government came following a late-night clash with National backbencher
Marilyn Waring over highly contentious Opposition-sponsored
nuclear-free New Zealand legislation, in which Waring told him she would
cross the floor (giving the Opposition a victory). On 14 June 1984, a visibly drunk
[12] Muldoon called a
snap election for 14 July that same year. (Historians noted the unfortunate coincidence with
Bastille Day).
[13] A journalist commented that this did not give him much time to campaign. Muldoon replied "It doesn't give my opponents much time". He was heavily defeated by
David Lange's resurgent Labour Party, which won 56 seats to National's 37 with a massive
vote splitting caused by the
New Zealand Party in particular. Muldoon's drunkenness when announcing the election date led to it being known as the schnapps election.
[13]
It is a strong convention in New Zealand politics that a prime minister does not
ask for an early election unless he or she cannot govern, or unless they need to seek the electorate's endorsement on a matter of national importance (as was the case in
1951). Muldoon justified the snap election because he felt Waring's revolt impeded his ability to govern. Indeed, it was obvious that Muldoon was finding it hard to pass financial measures with
neo-liberal rebels like
Ruth Richardson and
Derek Quigley voting against the Government on certain issues;
[14] however, some historians have been critical of this excuse, as Waring said that she would not have denied Muldoon confidence or
supply, and would not have prevented him from governing, as the government still had the constitutional means to govern.