1980 Porirua mayoral election

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1980 Porirua mayoral election
Porirua CoA.jpg
  1977 11 October 19801983 
Turnout11,540
  Whitford J.R Brown.jpg No image.png
Candidate Whitford Brown Eric McKenzie
Party Independent Labour
Popular vote8,2503,174
Percentage71.4927.50

Mayor before election

Whitford Brown

Elected Mayor

Whitford Brown

The 1980 Porirua mayoral election was part of the New Zealand local elections held that same year. The elections were held for the role of Mayor of Porirua plus other local government positions including fifteen city councillors, also elected triennially. The polling was conducted using the standard first-past-the-post electoral method.

Contents

Background

Prior to the election there was a minor controversy on the council. In early 1980 Porirua's Town Clerk, Gordon Gandell, retired. The former deputy mayor of neighbouring Lower Hutt, John Seddon, was employed for the role. Allegations ensued that his appointment had been a "jack up" by the Labour majority on the city council and his friendship with deputy mayor John Burke. A group of senior Porirua City Council officers jointly signed a letter during the appointment row saying he wasn't the right man for the job. Seddon was not an accountant, the usual prior professional qualification of town clerks at that time, but he had been responsible for managing a company with three times the asset turnover of the Porirua City Council. Ombudsman Lester Castle was called in and eventually cleared the appointment process as being sufficiently objective. Following the 1980 elections, Labour lost their majority on the council. [1] Labour lost their council majority at the election which was attributed to the employment controversy. Several Labour councillors were dumped from the party ticket prior to the election. One, Ivan Hardgrave, stood instead as an independent candidate and was successful. [2]

The election also saw the introduction of a new party to contest control of the council with the emergence of the Rates Reform ticket. Founded in early 1979, the Rates Reform group accused local bodies of excessive spending and wanted a cessation to rates increases funded by cutting services and council staff. [3]

Mayoral results

1980 Porirua mayoral election [4]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Independent Whitford Brown 8,250 71.49 +29.88
Labour Eric McKenzie3,17427.50
Informal votes1161.00
Majority5,07643.98+31.87
Turnout 11,540

Councillor results

1980 Porirua City Council election
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Porirua Ward (12 vacancies) [5]
Independent Maxine Arnold 4,514 64.54 +18.06
Labour John Burke 3,931 56.20 +2.87
Labour Margaret Brown 3,791 54.20 +2.83
Values Helen Smith 3,668 52.44 -0.15
Labour Eric McKenzie 3,585 51.25 +6.85
Independent Bill Herewini 3,550 50.75
Independent Rex Willing 3,500 50.04 +14.10
Independent Alf Mexted 3,453 49.37 +17.41
Labour Colin Beyer 3,243 46.36
Independent Ivan Hardgrave 3,227 46.13 -0.82
Labour Tom Janes 2,999 42.87 -1.98
Labour Sandra Meredith 2,954 42.23
Independent Kenneth Budge2,88641.26
Labour James Clark2,88341.22-0.44
Labour Alan Sketchley2,83840.57
Labour Phil O'Connell2,83040.46-1.50
Labour David Isaia2,80540.10-6.85
Labour David Stanley2,56436.65
Rates ReformEstelle Brittain2,38634.11
Labour Connie Mato2,38534.10
Independent Edward Davis2,29632.82
Independent Robert Hosking2,12830.42
Rates ReformJohn Barnett2,11330.21-1.34
Rates ReformJames Brittain1,92427.50
Independent Lester Dobson1,79225.62-3.46
Rates ReformClifford Chadwick1,67423.93
Independent Pati Taulapapa1,54922.14
Rates ReformKaye Kerslake1,54722.11
Mana Motuhake Mark Metekingi1,51521.66
Rates ReformLeslie Furnell1,34019.15
Mana Motuhake Sam Tekira79411.35
Mana Motuhake Sarai Fano6669.52
Socialist Unity John Van de Ven5177.39
Taupo Ward (2 vacancies) [6]
Independent Jan Bennett 1,472 63.66
Independent Murray Goodman 1,061 45.89
Independent Neville Peach64227.76
Ind. Progressive Kenneth Huntington54823.70
Independent Keith Rolston54223.44
Independent Robert Harper36015.57
Pukerua Bay Ward (1 vacancy) [7]
Independent Wayne Marshall unopposed

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References

  1. Hawkins, Barry (2 July 1997). "Council survivor outlasts his critics". The Evening Post . p. 9.
  2. "Labour pays the price — falls with mighty thump in local polls". The Evening Post . 13 October 1980. p. 2.
  3. "New group wants rates reform". The Press . 23 January 1979. p. 1.
  4. "Declaration of Result of Election — City of Porirua — Election of Mayor". The Evening Post . 18 October 1980. p. 22.
  5. "Declaration of Result of Election — City of Porirua — Election of Twelve Councillors — Porirua Ward". The Evening Post . 18 October 1980. p. 22.
  6. "Declaration of Result of Election — City of Porirua — Election of Two Councillors — Taupo Ward". The Evening Post . 18 October 1980. p. 22.
  7. "New factors in local body polls next month". The Evening Post . 5 September 1980.