[2] The area had previously been receptive to social credit theory – the Social Credit Party had placed second in the 1954 election, and Harold Rushworth of the credit-influenced Country Party had held the Northland seat (then called Bay of Islands) for three terms, from 1928 to 1938.

[6] However after special votes were included his small majority was surpassed by the incumbent MP, Logan Sloane of the National Party.

As leader, Cracknell attempted to turn Social Credit into a more professional political organisation.

Cracknell's victory was a surprise, as no candidate not aligned with either the Labour or National parties had been elected to Parliament since 1943.

[10] Cracknell was not particularly skilled at dealing with the media and so received little attention, thus undoing Social Credit's foot in the door in terms of political ascendancy.

[11] Due to his isolation in parliament Cracknell could not rely on any other MPs to second any motion of his but did have to share an office and secretary with an MP from another party.

[12] In the 1969 election, Cracknell's campaign was almost universally regarded as poor, with his television appearance being described as uninteresting, too academic and rambling.

[10] The party dropped 5% in the polls and Cracknell likewise did worse in Hobson where Logan Sloane regained the seat by a substantial margin.

[14] Seeing this as a sign of things to come, Cracknell smilingly asked the minutes clerk to remove his name from the leadership ballot.

His wife Shelagh Ralston Julius, who was a Squadron Leader in the WAAF during the second world war, died in 1993.