Port Waikato (New Zealand electorate)
Port Waikato was a New Zealand parliamentary electorate that existed for four parliamentary terms from 1996 to 2008. It was held by Bill Birch for one term, and the remaining three terms by Paul Hutchison; both were members of the National Party.
Population centres
The 1996 election was notable for the significant change of electorate boundaries, based on the provisions of the Electoral Act 1993.[1] Because of the introduction of the mixed-member proportional (MMP) electoral system, the number of electorates had to be reduced, leading to significant changes. More than half of the electorates contested in 1996 were newly constituted, and most of the remainder had seen significant boundary changes. In total, 73 electorates were abolished, 29 electorates were newly created (including Port Waikato), and 10 electorates were recreated, giving a net loss of 34 electorates.
The Port Waikato electorate was formed from parts of the Franklin, Raglan, and Waikato electorates, all of which were abolished.[2] In its initial area, towns with more than one polling booth were Huntly, Pukekohe, Ngaruawahia, Tuakau, and Waiuku. Localities with a single polling booth were Aka Aka, Awhitu, Bombay, Buckland, Glen Massey, Glen Murray, Glenbrook, Horotiu, Mauku, Meremere, Naike, Ohinewai, Onewhero, Orini, Otaua, Paerata, Pokeno, Port Waikato, Pukekawa, Pukemiro, Pukeoware, Puni, Raglan, Rangiriri, Ruawaro, Taupiri, Te Akau, Te Hoe, Te Kauwhata, Te Kohanga, Te Kowhai, Te Pahu, Te Uku, Waerenga, Waikaretu, Waikokowai, Waingaro, Waipipi, Waiterimu, Waitetuna, Whatawhata, and Whitikahu.[3]
History
Bill Birch was the first representative of the Port Waikato electorate following the 1996 election. Throughout his long parliamentary career, which started in 1972, Birch always represented the electorate in which the town of Pukekohe was located, where he had established a business prior to entering parliament.[4] When Birch retired at the 1999 election, he was succeeded by Paul Hutchison, a medical specialist. When the Port Waikato electorate was abolished in 2008, Hutchison transferred to the reconstituted Hunua electorate, which he represented until his retirement from politics at the 2014 election.[5][6]
Members of Parliament
Key
Election | Winner | |
---|---|---|
1996 election | Bill Birch | |
1999 election | Paul Hutchison | |
2002 election | ||
2005 election |
Election results
1996 election
General election 1996: Port Waikato[3][7][8] | |||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Notes: Green background denotes the winner of the electorate vote.
| |||||||||
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | Party Votes | % | ±% | ||
National | Bill Birch | 12,529 | 43.80 | 10,809 | 37.58 | ||||
NZ First | John Forbes | 5,527 | 19.32 | 4,996 | 17.37 | ||||
Labour | Terry Hughes | 4,888 | 17.09 | 6,354 | 22.09 | ||||
Alliance | Francis Petchey | 2,922 | 10.22 | 2,452 | 8.52 | ||||
ACT | Marlene Lamb | 804 | 2.81 | 1,796 | 6.24 | ||||
Christian Coalition | Rick Hayward | 733 | 2.56 | 1,211 | 4.21 | ||||
United NZ | Diane Colson | 720 | 2.52 | 319 | 1.11 | ||||
McGillicuddy Serious | David Sutcliffe | 397 | 1.39 | 122 | 0.42 | ||||
Natural Law | Rhonda-Lisa Comins | 84 | 0.29 | 27 | 0.09 | ||||
Legalise Cannabis | 441 | 1.53 | |||||||
Progressive Green | 64 | 0.22 | |||||||
Animals First | 51 | 0.18 | |||||||
Green Society | 25 | 0.09 | |||||||
Superannuitants & Youth | 23 | 0.08 | |||||||
Mana Māori | 21 | 0.07 | |||||||
Ethnic Minority Party | 18 | 0.06 | |||||||
Conservatives | 17 | 0.06 | |||||||
Libertarianz | 10 | 0.03 | |||||||
Advance New Zealand | 8 | 0.03 | |||||||
Asia Pacific United | 1 | 0.00 | |||||||
Te Tawharau | 0 | 0.00 | |||||||
Informal votes | 266 | 105 | |||||||
Total Valid votes | 28,604 | 28,765 | |||||||
National win new seat | Majority | 7,002 | 24.48 |
References
- ↑ Electoral Act 1993, Act No. 87 of 17 August 1993. Retrieved on 30 June 2015.
- ↑ "Electorate Profile Port Waikato" (PDF). New Zealand Parliamentary Library. October 2005. p. 3. Archived from the original (PDF) on 29 September 2007. Retrieved 8 July 2015.
- 1 2 "Electorate Candidate and Party Votes Recorded at Each Polling Place – Port Waikato, 1996" (PDF). Retrieved 9 July 2015.
- ↑ Birch, Bill (8 October 1999). "House: Valedictory of Rt. Hon. Sir William Birch" (Press release). Wellington. Scoop. Retrieved 13 June 2015.
- ↑ Vance, Andrea (25 October 2013). "National MPs to retire". stuff.co.nz. Retrieved 28 October 2013.
- ↑ "Dr Paul Hutchison". New Zealand Parliament. Retrieved 7 July 2015.
- ↑ "Part III – Party Lists of Successful Registered Parties" (PDF). Electoral Commission. Retrieved 22 June 2013.
- ↑ "Part III – Party Lists of unsuccessful Registered Parties" (PDF). Electoral Commission. Retrieved 22 June 2013.