Remuera (New Zealand electorate)

Remuera is a former New Zealand parliamentary electorate, in the city of Auckland. It existed from 1938, when it replaced the Parnell electorate, until 1996. It was consistently held by members of the National Party.

Remuera electorate boundaries between 1993 and 1996.

Population centres

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The 1931 New Zealand census had been cancelled due to the Great Depression, so the 1937 electoral redistribution had to take ten years of population growth into account. The increasing population imbalance between the North and South Islands had slowed, and only one electorate seat was transferred from south to north. Five electorates were abolished, one former electorate (Onehunga) was re-established, and four electorates were created for the first time, including Remuera.[1] The Remuera electorate replaced the Parnell electorate, covering almost exactly the same area as Parnell had since the 1927 electoral redistribution.[2]

For the purposes of the country quota, the 1936 census had determined that the Remuera electorate was fully urban.[3] The electorate comprised a number of east Auckland suburbs, most notably Remuera itself. The area is high-income, and has been represented by a succession of National Party MPs.

History

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The electorate existed from 1938 to 1996. The first representative was Bill Endean, who served from 1938 for one term to 1943.[4] Endean was controversial within the National Party and in the party's 50-year history written by Barry Gustafson, it is remarked that in 1938, there was "some resistance to the National MP" in the Remuera electorate.[5] His nomination for the planned 1941 general election only occurred after Sidney Holland had stepped in.[6] The 1941 election was postponed due to the war, though, and Endean failed to get selected by the National Party for the 1943 election; Ronald Algie was chosen instead.[7] Endean was overseas at the time of the selection, but even if he had been present, Gustafson believes that the "elderly, dull Endean would have been no match for the clever and witty Algie". Endean was the first sitting National MP who failed to get re-selected.[6]

On election night 1987 a shock upset in the electorate was predicted. Labour candidate Judith Tizard came within 406 votes of winning the National Party bastion of Remuera, being predicted as the winner after initial vote counting.[8] Labour's temporary surge amongst traditional National stalwarts caused Prime Minister David Lange to question the direction his government was taking. In a 1996 interview he recalled, "That election night was a great revelation for me. That was an apprehension on my part that we had actually abandoned our constituency. And it set me to think what on earth have we done that we come within 400 votes of winning the true-blue seat of Remuera. And that struck me as being a dangerous flirtation, and an act of treachery to the people we were born to represent."[9]

With the introduction of mixed-member proportional (MMP) representation in 1996, Remuera was included in the new electorate of Epsom.

Members of Parliament

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Key

  National

Election Winner
1938 election Bill Endean
1943 election Ronald Algie
1946 election
1949 election
1951 election
1954 election
1957 election
1960 election
1963 election
1966 election Allan Highet
1969 election
1972 election
1975 election
1978 election
1981 election
1984 election Doug Graham
1987 election
1990 election
1993 election
(Electorate abolished in 1996; see Epsom)

Election results

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1993 election

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1993 general election: Remuera[10]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
National Doug Graham 12,584 59.94 +0.64
Alliance Mary Tierney 3,965 18.88
Labour Peter Haynes 3,633 17.30
McGillicuddy Serious Kerry Hoole 347 1.65 +0.68
Christian Heritage Joanne Phimster 247 1.17
Natural Law Graeme Lodge 129 0.61
Defence Movement Luke Holmes 86 0.40
Majority 8,619 41.06 +6.02
Turnout 20,991 85.20 +0.65
Registered electors 24,636

1990 election

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1990 general election: Remuera[11]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
National Doug Graham 11,777 59.30 +9.80
Labour Carl Harding 4,409 22.20
Green Mark Fitzsimons 2,682 13.50
NewLabour Wayne Hope 599 3.01
McGillicuddy Serious Kerry Hoole 194 0.97
Democrats Thomas Keith Park 114 0.57
Blokes Liberation Front Russell Duulroo 85 0.42
Majority 7,368 37.09 +35.04
Turnout 19,860 84.55 −3.25
Registered electors 23,487

1987 election

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1987 general election: Remuera[12]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
National Doug Graham 9,770 49.50 +5.00
Labour Judith Tizard 9,364 47.44
Democrats B F Clegg 319 1.61
NZ Party Sue Martin 175 0.88
Revolutionary Army Sibling Ward 107 0.54
Majority 406 2.05 −14.98
Turnout 19,735 87.80 −2.73
Registered electors 22,477

1984 election

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1984 general election: Remuera[12]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
National Doug Graham 9,102 44.50
NZ Party Kenneth Sandford 5,619 27.47
Labour Wayne Kingsley Sellwood 4,914 24.02
Social Credit Thomas Keith Park 599 2.92
Values Cathryn Symons 217 1.06
Majority 3,483 17.03
Turnout 20,451 90.53 +5.84
Registered electors 22,590

1981 election

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1981 general election: Remuera[12]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
National Allan Highet 9,360 53.75 −1.59
Labour Judith Tizard 4,525 25.98
Social Credit Eddie Hagen 2,755 15.82 +3.83
Values Jeanette Fitzsimons 475 2.72 −4.77
Independent Malcolm Moses 189 1.08
Liberal Democratic B R Harker 107 0.61
Majority 5,105 29.32 −4.26
Turnout 17,411 84.69 +28.91
Registered electors 20,557

1978 election

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1978 general election: Remuera[12]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
National Allan Highet 9,511 55.34 −8.38
Labour Lee Goffin 3,740 21.76
Social Credit Eddie Hagen 2,062 11.99
Values Jeanette Fitzsimons 1,288 7.49
Christian Democratic Tom Weal 338 1.96
Right to Life Patricia Sue Crowther 245 1.42
Majority 5,771 33.58 −14.45
Turnout 17,184 55.78 −23.65
Registered electors 30,806

1975 election

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1975 general election: Remuera[12]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
National Allan Highet 11,483 63.72 +4.08
Labour G B Mead 2,827 15.68
Values Bill Davies 2,363 13.11
Social Credit Peggy Clark 809 4.48 −0.91
Right to Life L D B Gee 483 2.68
Alpha C C Wallace 55 0.30
Majority 8,656 48.03 +11.06
Turnout 18,020 79.43 −9.12
Registered electors 22,685

1972 election

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1972 general election: Remuera[12]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
National Allan Highet 9,869 59.64 −7.19
Labour Rex Stanton 3,751 22.67
Values Reg Clough 1,736 10.49
Social Credit Peggy Clark 893 5.39 +0.04
Independent Clyde Campbell 237 1.43
New Democratic Bruce William Cox 59 0.35
Majority 6,118 36.97 −2.06
Turnout 16,545 88.55 +1.12
Registered electors 18,684

1969 election

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1969 general election: Remuera[13]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
National Allan Highet 12,153 66.83 +0.59
Labour Hamish Keith 5,056 27.80
Social Credit Peggy Clark 974 5.35 −5.47
Majority 7,097 39.03 −4.65
Turnout 18,183 87.43 −3.80
Registered electors 20,795

1966 election

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1966 general election: Remuera[13]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
National Allan Highet 10,127 66.42
Labour Bill Nairn 3,467 22.74
Social Credit Peggy Clark 1,651 10.82 +6.58
Majority 6,660 43.68
Turnout 15,245 83.63 −4.04
Registered electors 18,227

1963 election

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1963 general election: Remuera[13]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
National Ronald Algie 10,772 68.10 +0.06
Labour Frederick Nelson Goodall 3,771 23.84
Social Credit Peggy Clark 672 4.24
Liberal Owen Alfred Addison 602 3.80
Majority 7,001 44.26 +3.56
Turnout 15,817 87.67 +0.26
Registered electors 18,041

1960 election

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1960 general election: Remuera[13]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
National Ronald Algie 10,212 68.04 +5.06
Labour Barry Gustafson 4,103 27.34
Social Credit Margaret Morley 692 4.61
Majority 6,109 40.70 +9.81
Turnout 15,007 87.41 −5.11
Registered electors 17,167

1957 election

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1957 general election: Remuera[13]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
National Ronald Algie 9,717 62.98 +3.85
Labour Russell Gordon Penney 4,951 32.09
Social Credit Ethel Maude Wood 759 4.91
Majority 4,766 30.89 +5.99
Turnout 15,427 92.52 +3.79
Registered electors 16,674

1954 election

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1954 general election: Remuera[13]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
National Ronald Algie 8,415 59.13 −12.94
Labour Bob Tizard 4,871 34.23 +6.31
Social Credit Horace Leslie Richards 944 6.63
Majority 3,544 24.90 −19.25
Turnout 14,230 88.73 +1.07
Registered electors 16,037

1951 election

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1951 general election: Remuera[14]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
National Ronald Algie 8,727 72.07 +2.04
Labour Bob Tizard 3,381 27.92
Majority 5,346 44.15 +4.09
Turnout 12,108 87.66 −5.17
Registered electors 13,811

1949 election

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1949 general election: Remuera[15]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
National Ronald Algie 8,878 70.03 +2.55
Labour Hugh Watt 3,799 29.96
Majority 5,079 40.06 +5.10
Turnout 12,677 92.83 +0.75
Registered electors 13,655

1946 election

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1946 general election: Remuera[16]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
National Ronald Algie 8,512 67.48 +10.79
Labour James Freeman 4,102 32.51
Majority 4,410 34.96 +15.05
Turnout 12,614 92.08 −1.15
Registered electors 13,698

1943 election

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1943 general election: Remuera[17]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
National Ronald Algie 11,907 56.69
Labour Martyn Finlay 7,724 36.77
Democratic Labour Leo Patrick McMahon 439 2.09
People's Movement Edward William Sinton 296 1.40
Independent Hugh Kendal 278 1.32
Real Democracy Suzanne Mabel Milne 165 0.78
Informal votes 193 0.91 +0.11
Majority 4,183 19.91
Turnout 21,002 93.23 +0.99
Registered electors 22,527

1938 election

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1938 general election: Remuera[18]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
National Bill Endean 9,605 58.27
Labour Mary Dreaver 6,744 40.91
Informal votes 132 0.80
Majority 2,861 17.35
Turnout 16,481 92.24
Registered electors 17,866

Notes

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  1. ^ McRobie 1989, pp. 87–92.
  2. ^ McRobie 1989, pp. 86–91.
  3. ^ McRobie 1989, p. 91.
  4. ^ Wilson 1985, p. 195.
  5. ^ Gustafson 1986, p. 25.
  6. ^ a b Gustafson 1986, p. 235.
  7. ^ Gustafson 1986, p. 309.
  8. ^ Russell 1996, p. 142.
  9. ^ Russell 1996, p. 143.
  10. ^ Part 1: Votes recorded at each polling place (Technical report). New Zealand Chief Electoral Office. 1993.
  11. ^ Part 1: Votes recorded at each polling place (Technical report). New Zealand Chief Electoral Office. 1990.
  12. ^ a b c d e f Norton 1988, pp. 332.
  13. ^ a b c d e f Norton 1988, pp. 331.
  14. ^ "The New Zealand Official Year-Book, 1951–52". Statistics New Zealand. Archived from the original on 23 June 2012. Retrieved 19 November 2012.
  15. ^ "The General Election, 1949". National Library. 1950. pp. 1–5, 8. Retrieved 3 January 2014.
  16. ^ "The General Election, 1946". National Library. 1947. pp. 1–11, 14. Retrieved 1 January 2014.
  17. ^ "The General Election, 1943". National Library. 1944. p. 11. Retrieved 28 March 2014.
  18. ^ "The General Election, 1938". National Library. 1939. pp. 1–6. Retrieved 8 February 2012.

References

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  • Gustafson, Barry (1986). The First 50 Years : A History of the New Zealand National Party. Auckland: Reed Methuen. ISBN 0-474-00177-6.
  • McRobie, Alan (1989). Electoral Atlas of New Zealand. Wellington: GP Books. ISBN 0-477-01384-8.
  • Wilson, James Oakley (1985) [First published in 1913]. New Zealand Parliamentary Record, 1840–1984 (4th ed.). Wellington: V.R. Ward, Govt. Printer. OCLC 154283103.
  • Norton, Clifford (1988). New Zealand Parliamentary Election Results 1946–1987: Occasional Publications No 1, Department of Political Science. Wellington: Victoria University of Wellington. ISBN 0-475-11200-8.
  • Russell, Marcia (1996). Revolution:New Zealand from Fortress to Free Market. Hodder Moa Beckett. ISBN 1869584287.