1971 Christchurch mayoral election

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1971 Christchurch mayoral election
Christchurch COA.png
  1968 9 October 1971 1974  
Turnout49,310 (56.57%)
  Neville Pickering.jpg Ron Guthrey, 1950.jpg
Candidate Neville Pickering Ron Guthrey
Party Labour Citizens'
Popular vote25,12123,212
Percentage50.9447.07

Mayor before election

Ron Guthrey

Elected Mayor

Neville Pickering

The 1971 Christchurch mayoral election was part of the New Zealand local elections held that same year. In 1971, elections were held for the Mayor of Christchurch plus other local government positions. The polling was conducted using the standard first-past-the-post electoral method. The incumbent, Ron Guthrey of the Citizens' ticket, was defeated by the Labour Party candidate Neville Pickering.

Contents

Background

There were two hotly-discussed issues leading up to the 1971 election: a proposal by the mayor to build a road through North Hagley Park, and the venue choice for the 1974 British Commonwealth Games. Senior councillor Peter Skellerup of the Citizens' ticket criticised the incumbent mayor, Ron Guthrey (also of the Citizens' ticket) on the road proposal. According to Hamish Hay, a later mayor, the road proposal was Guthrey's undoing, and he was defeated by Labour councillor Neville Pickering. [1] It was the first occasion in 46 years that a sitting mayor had been defeated. Labour won a majority on the city council as well, winning control of the council for the first time since 1956, resulting in the composition of the council at eleven seats to eight in favour of the Labour Party. [2] The highest-polling councillor, by a margin of 2500 votes, was Skellerup, though.

Mayoralty results

The following table gives the election results:

1971 Christchurch mayoral election [3]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour Neville Pickering 25,121 50.95
Citizens' Ron Guthrey 23,21247.07-16.78
Independent Tubby Hansen 6181.25
Informal votes3590.73±0.00
Majority1,9093.90
Turnout 49,31056.57+15.00

This is the first time that Tubby Hansen stood for the Christchurch mayoralty. As of 2022, he has stood in every local election for the mayoralty since. [4] [5]

Councillor results

1971 Christchurch local election [6]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Citizens' Peter Skellerup 27,74856.27-1.50
Citizens' Hamish Hay 25,21951.14-11.50
Labour Robert Macfarlane 24,217 49.11 +4.14
Labour Albert Orme 23,735 48.13
Labour Brian Alderdice 22,952 46.54 +6.67
Labour Mollie Clark 22,841 46.32
Labour David Caygill 22,662 45.95
Citizens'Peter Dunbar22,47145.57-6.23
Labour Durham Dowell 22,270 45.16
Citizens'Norman Greenslade21,94444.50
Citizens'Helen Garrett21,87944.37-3.53
Citizens'Les Amos21,78044.16-7.26
Labour Mary Batchelor 21,380 43.35
Labour Nancy Sutherland 21,281 43.15
Citizens' Maurice Carter 21,27843.15+8.74
Labour Peter William Anderson 21,111 42.81
Labour Bill Massey 20,634 41.84
Citizens'Buster Cowles20,02440.60-10.66
Labour Reginald John Cunningham 19,920 40.39 +5.62
Labour John F. Davidson19,91940.39+5.63
Citizens'Peter Blaxall19,91440.38-4.80
Labour Harold Turner19,67539.90
Citizens'Harry Blazey19,53739.62-7.13
Labour Bruce John Corkran19,53039.60
Labour Raymond Hugh Murray19,40539.35
Citizens'Bruce Britten19,24339.02-9.06
Citizens'Harold Smith19,17938.89+8.62
Labour John Gordon Power19,17038.87
Labour Alexander Fraser Ross18,96338.45+4.79
Labour David Brine18,88338.29
Labour David Bernard O'Connell18,61637.75
Citizens' Robertson Stewart 18,53337.58-8.60
Citizens'Alec S. Farrar18,41537.34
Citizens'Gordon Hattaway17,69935.89-12.26
Citizens' Ted Taylor 17,35635.19-11.76
Citizens'Bob Baker17,11834.71
Independent Reg Stillwell16,12932.70-16.73
Citizens'Walter Campbell15,83232.10
Citizens'Leicester Steven15,70831.85
Independent Roger Anthony Bamford5,51411.18
Independent Rolfe C. Neville4,99310.12
Independent Edward Foote4,9359.99
Independent Tubby Hansen 3,6697.44

Aftermath

A local government commission recommended that Christchurch amalgamate with some of the small surrounding local authorities and the area be divided into wards for electoral purposes, with the mayor then the only position elected at large. Pickering promised during the election campaign that wards would be introduced for the 1974 local elections. The Citizens' ticket was also in favour of introducing wards but tied this to amalgamation going ahead. Amalgamation did not proceed but the Labour-led council introduced five wards in time for the 1974 local elections. [7] [8]

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References

  1. Hay, Hamish (1989). Hay Days. Christchurch: Caxton Press. p. 62. ISBN   0908563310.
  2. "Labour Has Control of Christchurch City". The Press . Vol. CXI, no. 32734. 11 October 1971. p. 1.
  3. "Declaration of Results of Election". The Press . Vol. CXI, no. 32742. 20 October 1971. p. 29.
  4. Law, Tina; Walton, Steven (3 September 2022). "A wizard, a pastor, and two retirees are among the lesser-known candidates vying for Christchurch's mayoralty". The Press . Retrieved 2 September 2022.
  5. Bayer, Kurt (17 August 2022). "Christchurch mayoralty race attracts colourful cast of candidates". The New Zealand Herald . Retrieved 3 September 2022.
  6. "Christchurch City Council". The Press . Vol. CXI, no. 32743. 21 October 1971. p. 25.
  7. "The ward system". The Press . Vol. CXII, no. 33045. 12 October 1972. p. 16. Retrieved 5 September 2022.
  8. "First step towards city ward system". The Press . Vol. CXII, no. 33040. 6 October 1972. p. 12. Retrieved 5 September 2022.